Second Chance
by H3l3n3
Summary: A killer is after AD Wright. Don and his team are racing against the clock to find who it is. But helping Wright is not the only objective Don has in mind.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, this is my fanfic. As you will notice, English is not my language and I am looking for a Beta, so I apologize for any mistakes.

I hope you'll enjoy this story. It happens at the end of Season 4, after Charlie lost his clearance.

Comments are always welcome.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A killer is after AD Wright. Don and his team are racing against the clock to find who it is. But helping Wright is not the only objective Don has in mind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Dad?" Don called out as he entered the Craftsman house.

"In the kitchen!"

_Where else?_ Don thought with a little smirk. He headed to the kitchen and found his father staring thoughtfully at a huge cake placed on a tray on the table. Don's face lit up right away.

"Wow! That looks good. You made it?" he asked, taking some of the cream with his index.

Alan slapped his hand. "No, it's from the caterer. And don't touch, it's not for you."

"Caterer?" he asked surprised, as he licked the cream from his finger. "You're back with her? Dad, what about Millie?"

"This _is_ for Millie. It's her birthday. I haven't had time to bake anything so I ordered this cake from a caterer, whose name's John and he wears a beard… not my type; as you know I prefer moustache," Alan replied, sarcastic. "And since when do you interfere in my private life, by the way?"

"Hey, who's always giving me the third degree on my love life, hmm? See how it feels."

"I'm the father, you're the son. It's normal that I look after you, kid."

"I haven't been a kid for a long time, Dad."

"Hmm, sometimes, I wonder," muttered Alan, glancing sideways at his son.

Feeling it was time to change the conversation, Don asked, "Charlie's here?"

"Yeah, in the garage I guess. He came back about ten minutes ago. "

Don frowned and looked at his father. "How is he?"

Alan made a face. "I don't know what's harder for him: loosing his clearance, not being able to work with you or his wounded pride. A mix of all I guess. Of course, he's doing his best to pretend everything's alright… but he's not doing a great job at it."

Don frowned even more. "That bad, hmm? I thought we could have lunch together. That would take his mind off… you know."

Alan nodded. He was about to reply when the kitchen door burst open suddenly and the curly professor entered like a rocket. As soon as he saw Don, Charlie put on his best smile. "Hey Don, I didn't know you were here." He went to fridge and helped himself with a bottle of water. "Want a beer?"

"Uh, no thanks, I'm on duty. Listen, I was thinking that, maybe, we could…" He stopped as he felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. He flipped it open. "Eppes…" He glanced at his watch. "Okay, I'll be there in 20 minutes." He clipped his cell back at his hip and started to motion towards the door. "Sorry guys, I gotta go."

"That seems serious," noted Charlie.

"Yeah."

Alan looked at Charlie who looked at Don expectantly. Don looked down. "I've gotta go," he repeated, ill-at-ease.

Charlie winced. He knew he couldn't go with his brother and that Don wasn't allowed to talk about his cases with him anymore. It had been two months since he had lost his clearance and it was his entire fault, due to his own decision. It seemed right at the time. Still did in fact but God, how he missed working with his brother, being there for him, knowing that he was part of his life somehow. Now, they only saw each other when Don stopped by for dinner twice a week, sometimes less if he was too busy – which had been the case these last past three weeks.

He followed his brother to his car to say bye. Don rolled down the window of his SUV and said, "I call you tonight. If I don't finish too late, we could have dinner... outside."

"Dad has a date with Millie. It's her bir..."

Don nodded, remembering. "Birthday, right. Well just you and me then, if that's okay with you."

Don didn't wait for Charlie's reply. The smile on his little brother's face said it all.

David saw Don's car arriving and he walked up to him.

"What do we have?" asked the lead agent, as he got out of the SUV.

"Homicide. A couple shot in their car."

Don frowned, puzzled. "Why call the FBI?" He noticed Lt Walker amongst the LAPD gathered in front of a house with a car parked in the alleyway. The perimeters had been secured with a yellow tape, preventing the onlookers to enter the zone of the crime scene.

The two FBI agents crossed the road, lifted the tape to walk under it. "Hi, Walker. What's going on?"

"Hi Eppes, Couple shot between the eyes."

Don put his rubber gloves on and opened the door of the car carefully. He leant inside and looked at the windscreen: it was intact. The car was clean: no blood, no dirt or sand on the floor, nothing but the bodies.

"They were killed somewhere else then placed in the car?"

Walker nodded.

"You have an ID?"

Walker nodded again. "Mike and Mary Davenport, from LA, married for 2 years. The car has been cleaned and I mean _thoroughly_ cleaned. Whoever did that was a pro."

"A hitman?" David enquired.

Walker made a face. "Maybe."

"Why did you call us? I mean, LAPD can handle this, right?" asked Don.

"Sure but I thought you might be interested to see that."

He gestured at one of the policemen. The man brought a plastic bag containing a piece of paper and gave it to Don who took it delicately and read. "AD Wright: 3".

He stared at Walker. "3? Does that mean there 's been two killings before?"

Walker nodded.

"How come we weren't told?"

"Because the LAPD teams thought that A.D. were initials and not a title. And to be honest, if I hadn't worked with you guys, I probably wouldn't have made the connection either."

Don passed the bag to David. "Okay. So who were the others victims?"

"First one, a young kid -17- coming back from baseball training. A bullet in the forehead. He was found in his back garden but was obviously killed somewhere else. That was 5 days ago. The second murder happened 3 days ago. An old couple, shot between the eyes. Found in their home, but again, no trace of blood. They weren't killed in their house."

"Could be a spree killer," suggested David.

Don shook his head, unconvinced. "Looks more like an execution than an improvised shooting to me. The MO is the same and the murders were obviously carefully planned. He probably stalked his victims to know their routines. Not to mention that a spree killer wouldn't bother to move the bodies and stage the deaths." The lead agent turned to Walker "Have you told Wright yet?"

"No," admitted Walker sheepishly. "I thought, you know... " He shook his head from side to side. "Coming from you it'd sound less..."

Don ran his hand in his hair. "Yeah well, thanks for the thought but frankly, I could've done without it."

"I bet. Sorry Eppes."

Don held his hand to sweep the excuse. He looked at David and took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's go give the good news to the boss, then."

"How did he take it?" Colby asked, raising his head from his computer at Don's approach.

"What do you think? Five people are dead apparently because of him and we don't even know why." Don took his jacket off and rolled his sleeves.

Colby bit his lower lip. _Yeah, stupid question, Granger_.

"So what does he want us to do now?" David inquired.

"We're on the case. We keep it low-key. No talking to the press, at least until we know who's behind it."

"LAPD's on it too?" Liz tilting her head towards the elevators as Walker walked out.

"Yeah they've got the reports on the first two murders. Well three actually, " replied Don.

Walker reached their cubicle and placed a folder on Don's desk. "Everything's in there, Eppes."

Don took the folder and thumbed towards the briefing room. His team and Walker followed him and he closed the door carefully behind them. He didn't want anyone to overhear their conversation - his job and his team's were on the line.

Don leant his back against a wall while Walker pinned the picture of a boy on a board before announcing, "Joshua Sully, 17, shot at close range, a bullet right between the eyes. He was found in the tools shelter in his parents' back garden but the evidences show that the boy wasn't killed there. Furthermore, it's a residential area and a gun shot wouldn't have gone unnoticed."

"The perp could've used a silencer?" offered Colby.

"True but the blood patterns on the floor weren't consistent with a shot in the head. We didn't find any gun powder, DNA or footprints either, nothing except this note." He handed a copy of the note to Don. "AD Wright: 1."

Don looked at it and passed it to David who gave it to Colby.

Walker carried on, "Second vics: John and Debra Manfield – 70 and 72. Again shot in the forehead. Found in their living room but not killed in their house. We found the second note: "AD Wright: 2". He handed a copy to Don who gave it to Liz.

Don screwed his eyes and absently scratched the back of his neck.

"Something on your mind, Eppes?" asked Walker.

"A lot's on my mind, Walker. Carry on."

The Lieutenant looked at Don for a second but said nothing and pinned the pictures of the young couple. "And today, Mike and Mary Davenport –27 years old. Found in their car, a bullet between the eyes. The vehicle was parked in their alleyway, engine on. That's what alerted the neighbours. The killing wasn't perpetrated at their house, not even in the car. The note "AD Wright: 3" was placed on the dashboard. The three murders happened in different areas of LA. So far, we haven't found anything that would link them together."

"And we're sure that the victims had no connection with AD Wright?" asked Liz.

"According to him, no," Don replied, sullenly.

Colby looked closely at his boss. "Come on, Don. What's bugging you?"

The lead agent shook his head, got up and stood in front of the board, staring at the pictures. "I don't know… Something's... not right. We're missing something... I... I don't know."

He stared at the pictures a few more seconds before turning his attention back to his team. "Okay, we need to dig deeper in the victims' past. If the killer's after Wright, why did he choose those people? The murders were very well planned. He took a lot of risks to stage them. Why? There must be a clue there. Gary, could you check if a similar MO was used in previous shootings? That guy's too good to be a beginner. We might have a record on him. In the meantime, I want a man with Wright all the time. And his phones surveillance under: landlines and mobiles, at work and home."

"You're gonna tap his phones?" David's eyebrows shot up.

"He already knows about it. He's not very happy but I didn't exactly give him the choice. If we don't respond the way the perp expects us to, he'll eventually call him."

"So what? We stay put until he calls?" Liz couldn't believe it.

"That's not what I said. But since we don't know yet what he or they have in mind, we must cover all eventualities."

Walker and Colby nodded their approval.

"And Wright _really_ has no idea who it could be," Liz Insisted.

"He said he didn't. We need to check the cases he worked on before becoming AD."

"I take care of that," Liz replied quickly

"Okay. David, Colby, you check the victims. They might have something in common. Anything... I still think they weren't chosen randomly."

Walker nodded. "By the way, Eppes. I've emailed you the files on the 5 murders. Maybe your brother could find a pattern and cal..." Walker stopped dead and closed his eyes in embarrassment. _Shit_. "Listen I'm sorry Don... I forgot. I didn't mean to..."

Don raised his hand to stop Walker, his face showing no emotion. "It's okay... really. Sure he would've been helpful but we'll have to do without him. So let's go everybody."

The agents quickly glanced at each other. They knew their boss was upset but also angry at the whole situation. In a way, Don was sorry and sad, really sad for Charlie. He had the feeling that his little brother hadn't expected things to go that far... that he would lose his clearance and be forbidden to work with the FIB again. As it had happened before, he had dismissed his older brother's advice and it had backfired on him. At that thought, Don clenched his jaw. He couldn't count the number of times it had happened before: when Charlie carried on working on the Russian mafia case and some of their men turned up at CalSci. When he spoke to the media about a case and almost got killed in return, when he showed up at a scene without warning and got shot at by a sniper. _Every time _Don had told him to stay away and _every time_ Charlie had ignored him. What was wrong with him? With them? Was their relationship still that fragile that Charlie felt the need to challenge Don's authority? Or was it a lack of trust? Surely Charlie knew by now that Don cared for him and felt responsible for his safety.

Anyway, Charlie now had to face the consequences of his actions and there was nothing Don could do to help him. And that was probably what bothered him most: not being able to help his brother. First, it was his duty as his elder brother but also he loved him -never mind how annoying the mathematician could be sometimes- he was his family.

Don suddenly realised he was sitting on the edge of his desk, holding his phone. _ Man, I don't remember walking back to my desk_. He quickly glanced at his team a little worried that the others might have noticed it but they all seemed busy and minding their own business. He sighed ._Yeah, that'd be nice to have you here Buddy... Especially since Megan's gone_. He shook his head.

Right now if he could remember why he had picked up the phone in the first place, that'd be good. He put it back... to pick it up again. "Oh yeah, Wright's lines," he muttered to himself.

Liz glanced at Don sideways. He had been a bit off his game lately, quite understandingly but to see him so... unfocused made them all a bit nervous. It was so unlike him. She realised that David was also watching him and smiled, amused. The whole team had gone into a mother hen mode toward their boss; discreetly checking up on him, watching him, making sure he was eating and resting. It wasn't just because they had promised Alan to keep an eye on his son. Don, in addition to being their boss, was their friend and they genuinely cared about him.

Don opened the email sent by Walker and read through until he found what he was looking for. He followed the line on his PC screen with his index and wrote down: "ToD: 9pm". He opened the next file, wrote the time of death down and again with the 3rd murder. Then he took the piece of paper and handed it to David over the partition of the cubicle.

"David, Colby, go interrogate the neighbours. These are the ToDs. Somebody _must've_ seen or heard something: a van, a car, _something."_

David took the paper and left with Colby.

He went through a newspaper, then another and another. Nothing, no mention of the murders. Not even in the small sections. Furious, he clenched his hands into fist, tearing the paper in the process. He got up and started to pace in the small room, knocking angrily a chair that was in his way. _They wouldn't acknowledge his work... __**his**__ work!_ _ He did everything he was told. He knew the bodies had been found. He had seen the FBI guys on the site of his last job... and he did a good, no a __**fantastic**__ job!. How come it wasn't in the news?_

Couldn't stand it anymore, he took his jacket and left his apartment to walk to the nearest phone box. He knew he wasn't supposed to call but he had to be reassured. It wasn't the end, was it? Someone picked up at the other end but said nothing, so he started, "There's nothing in the newspapers. They're not taking us seriously."

"I know. It was expected," a voice finally replied.

"What do you intend to do? You're not giving up, are you?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh no! I don't. The Feds probably kept the news from the press."

"How to be sure? I mean, maybe he still doesn't know."

"Oh Wright knows alright. But you're right, the Feds need a little incentive here. Stay put. You'll hear from me soon. In the meantime stay low... and don't call me ever again. Got it?"

The line went dead before he could reply. He hung up, unable to suppress a shudder. He knew the other man could kill him anytime but he also needed him. He started to smile as he walked back to his place. _Yeah, he needs me! Because I'm the best. He told me so._ Taking a deep breath, he looked at the passers-by. _If those people knew who I am, they'd be scared. _His smile broadened. _Yeah, they'd be scared... And they will... soon!_

Tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for your reviews and encouragements!. Hope you'll enjoy Part II._

_-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-_

Don rubbed his face with the heal of his hands, then glanced at his watch_. 6.30pm_. He got up to get some coffee when his cell phone rang, the screen showing "Charlie."

"Hi, Buddy."

"Are we still on for dinner?"

_Oh damn_, _he had totally forgotten about it__._ He let himself drop back on his chair. "Uh... no, I don't think so, Charlie. I'm really sorry. We have a rather complicated case and ... " he trailed off.

"It's okay, I understand." His brother tried not to show any disappointment but Don knew better. He winced – Dad was out tonight, Amita and Larry were at some sort of convention for the next two days, which meant that his brother would be alone. _Damn!_

He leant forward in his chair and put his elbows on his desk, one hand supporting his forehead. "I'm really sorry. Listen, I'll try and stop by on my way home. Okay?"

"It's alright, Don. I know what it's like. Don't worry. You're busy; we'll meet when you have time."

Don closed his eyes at his brother's words and made a face. "Okay. Take care, Buddy...I'll call tonight."

"Sure... Be careful."

Don hung up and looked at his watch again. Well, maybe he could rush to his brother's, have dinner with him and come back to work. He could really do with a break anyw...

His landline rang, interrupting his thoughts. "Eppes."

"I want you and your team in my office now," ordered Wright. Despite the blunt words, it sounded more like a plea than an order.

The agent got up and called his team, "Guys, Wright wants to see us... And he didn't sound too good," he whispered the last sentence as they walked to Wright's office.

The secretary let them in as soon as they arrived.

"Ah, Eppes, come in."

He showed them the sofa. They sat in silence, feeling like teenagers in the supervisor's office expecting a reprimand or a detention. And the fact that Wright looked so tense didn't help. He was about to sit on his chair, but then decided against it, and finally leaned against the edge of his desk instead. His evident anxiety made the whole team even more nervous and they all glanced questioningly at Don, who shrugged quickly. Wright was staring at his hands as if he didn't know where to start.

Without thinking, Don glanced at his watch. When he looked up, his whole team was staring at him in dismay. He shrugged again, apologetically this time. Luckily, Wright was still lost in his thoughts and hadn't noticed anything. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Don cleared his throat and said, "You wanted to see us, Sir?"

Wright startled slightly and, for a split second looked at them with surprise. "Hmm, yes. I...," he coughed. "I think I know... who's behind these murders. And if I'm right, things are going to go from bad to worse unless we stop him quickly."

The four agents remained silent, waiting for Wright to continue. The Director got up and walked to the window. He looked outside for a moment then turned around.

"About five years ago, I worked on a case with the CIA. It was a ... complicated case and ..." He sighed deeply. "Anyway it ended with the arrest of a double agent."

Colby couldn't help reacting at the words. David glanced quickly at him and smiled to reassure him.

"His name was Jack Harper. He escaped about a week ago."

"Escaped? From where?" asked Don.

Wright briefly eyed at Colby. "China."

Now things were getting a bit too uncomfortable for the young agent and he started to fidget nervously. Don looked at him and mouthed, "It's okay."

Wright carried on, "When he realised he was about to be arrested, he fled to China. Unfortunately for him, the Chinese Authorities don't like their agents to blow their cover and they sent him to jail upon his arrival."

"And you know he's back because…?" asked David.

Wright sat at his desk and leaned against his armchair.

"The man was very good at ... well... convincing enemies to talk or to collaborate. He had a very specific MO, like a signature. He stalked his victims to find their weak points and scare them. He loved playing cat and mouse with them until they couldn't take it anymore and agreed to do whatever he wanted. And trust me, he had an amazing imagination when it came to terrifying people. He used to say that someone emotionally bullied was a much easier prey to handle. Quite right on that one," he added in a whisper, to himself as much as to the team then a mix of distress and anger crossed his face. "He killed those innocent people just to get to me. It's his way to tell me he has me under his thumb; that he can do whatever pleases him and I can't stop him. And he'll kill again until he gets what he wants."

"Which is?" asked David.

"To make me suffer first. And once he'll have enough fun, he'll kill me."

Don frowned. "Why is he after _you_? What happened during that case? What is it you're not telling us?" Don was now getting really frustrated. As Wright didn't seem to want to reply, he insisted, "Sir, we need to know. We can't do our job if we don't have all the details."

Wright looked at the agents and crossed his arms defensively. "All you need to know is that I'm responsible for his arrest. When I discovered what he was, I... I denounced him," he confessed sheepishly.

The rest of the team looked at him, puzzled.

"What's wrong with that? You did what you had to do," stated Liz.

"Yes, but we were old friends. We had worked together for years, and although he's the one who betrayed us, I feel like I'm the guilty one... And it seems that's how he sees things as well."

"Sir, we must take you to a safe-house... Until we locate and arrest him."

Wright smiled sadly. "That won't stop him. His nickname was 'The Ghost' because no one ever knew where he was. He could move without a noise and never left a trace of his passage."

"The Ghost? Yeah, I've heard of him, "Colby advised.

"I'm sure you have. That's why I want you on this case Granger. You might be able to guess his next move. I mean, you were a... well... in the same field." He cleared his throat uneasy and turned quickly to Don. "Eppes, I'll give you all the resources you need. Just ask. We _cannot_ let him kill more people."

Don hesitated, chewing the inside of his cheek.

"Is there a problem, Agent?" the AD queried anxiously.

Don got up. "No. Yes... well... You said I could have whatever I need?"

"Just ask, "Wright nodded.

"Right, I need my brother on this." Wright's eyebrows shot up, but Don raised his hand to stop him before he could say something. "Please, hear me out, Sir. I know he's persona non grata right now, but he's also our best chance to catch that guy quickly. We would eventually get him, but with Charlie's help, we can speed up the process and save numbers of lives."

Wright stared at Don, not sure he had heard properly. "You know I can't do that Eppes," he finally said. "Your brother betrayed the FBI's trust; I cannot allow him to come back."

"The hell you can't!" Don erupted.

At Don's reaction, David closed his eyes and slumped on his chair; Liz moaned softly and buried her face in her left hand; and Colby suddenly found the carpet _very_ fascinating.

"Okay he did something stupid," carried on the lead agent. "Not by treason but because he thought it was right. Okay he was wrong." _Sort of,_ he thought to himself. "But give him a chance to make up for his mistake. Everybody deserves a second chance."

Again, Colby felt uneasy. _Gosh he was becoming paranoid or what?_ He knew Don wasn't talking about him but still.

"Sir," the agent continued before Wright could stop him, "he never meant to betray the Bureau. I promise… assure… swear - whatever you want - that he won't do anything ill considerate. He will _only_ work at the office, will use a computer from the Bureau and won't take it home or anywhere else unless you approve it. We'll do whatever you want, we'll follow whatever procedure you'll demand but let him come back in the team... Please."

Wright stood in front of Don, faced him squarely and said slowly, "You had it all thought over, didn't you? You were just waiting for the right moment to give me your little speech."

He kept staring at Don, who stared back at him. The rest of the team could feel the tension between the two men. They knew Don wouldn't back off, especially since his brother was the subject of the argument**.** They watched in silence the battle of wills, sincerely hoping that Don knew what he was doing.

"You know I'm right, Sir," Don's tone was neither aggressive, nor disrespectful; just matter-of-fact.

The AD's eyes narrowed, then he suddenly turned around and slowly walked back to his desk, obviously mulling over Don's words. "Very well," he finally said. "I'll give him a pass... but _just_ for this case. He mustn't expect to get his clearance back. Is that clear?"

Don could hardly hide his smile and shook slowly his head. "Understood. No problem with that, Sir... We will need as much information on that guy as possible."

Wright took a thick file from his top drawer and dropped it on his desk in front of him. "Here it is. All we know about him, his entire life is in there. I think you've got everything you need to work."

"If you knew Charlie, you wouldn't say that. He's going to ask for more," replied Don with a large smile as he took the file. "Much more!"

Tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

First of all, I realised I posted two chapters without making any disclaimer. So here it is:

Disclaimer: like everybody else on this site, I wish the characters were mind, but unfortunately, they are not. I just play with them.

--

There might/will be some English mistakes as I re-wrote most of this chapter after it was edited. My apologies.

A HUGE thank you to ALEO for her help and comments.

Chapter Three

"Okay Charlie," Explained Don as his brother pinned his pass on his jacket. "You do understand that this is only provisional?"

"I understand... but that's a start." Replied the younger man with a large smile.

"Charlie…"

"Don, I understand. It's just... it's good to be working with you again."

"Yeah, we missed you too Buddy. _I_ missed you." Don smiled back, his hand on the professor's arm.

"Hey! Charlie!" They spun around and watched the team walking over to them.

Colby tapped on Charlie's shoulder and winked. "Good to have you back, whiz kid."

David shook his hand warmly and tapped on his back. "Welcome back on board, Charlie."

Liz kissed him on the cheek. "Great to see you again."

"Thanks guys." Charlie looked around the bullpen and breathed deeply through his nose.

"You okay, Buddy?"

Charlie looked at his brother, radiantly and nodded. "Yeah. You know what? I never thought I'd miss this place so much."

"Well, remember that next time we have a shooting in the premises."

"Very funny, Don."

They took him to a desk.

"Right, you'll be working on this computer. I've already copied all the files and data we have on this case. If you need to download anything, you'll have to ask - you're not connected to the server or the internet, I'm sorry. They want to monitor everything you do because..." Don trailed off, ill-at-ease.

"I understand. No worries Don."

Don nodded, slightly relieved. He started to explain as they walked to the briefing room "We don't think the victims were chosen at random but we couldn't find anything linking them to the Ghost or his activities."

"You mean he killed these people for no reason?"

Despite of working for four years with his brother and the FBI, the professor still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that some people could torture or kill just for the pleasure. He wondered, not for the first time, how his brother managed to keep his sanity despite the violence and sadism some criminals could display. No wonder Don was so somber at times.

"Apparently. All he wanted was to attract Wright's attention" Confirmed David.

"Surely there were other ways?"

"Yeah but much less dramatic." Explained Colby. "This guy wants to destabilize Wright."

"I bet he succeeded." Muttered Charlie.

Don started to pace, playing with a rubber band. He stated, as if thinking aloud, "We haven't been able to find where they were killed. The victims lived in different areas, were of different ages: 17, 27 and 70, and had different activities or hobbies. The only similarity was that they all live in residential suburbs."

Suddenly he stopped his pacing as something clicked in his head. Since the beginning of this investigation, he had the strange feeling he was missing pieces, that something didn't make sense. He said slowly , "The murderer knew these areas well, the victims too."

Charlie looked at his brother confused. "I thought you said the victims had no links with the Ghost?"

Don nodded. "Hmm, but I don't think the Ghost is the killer."

"What? You think we're looking in the wrong direction? Don, Wright seems pretty adamant the Ghost is behind this. And I agree with him."

"_And _you're both correct, Colby. But the Ghost isn't the one who pulled the trigger - he hired someone to do his dirty jobs." he shook his head . "He's not the one responsible for these murders, at least not directly."

Charlie's eyebrows shot up. "So that means that the victims _might have_ a connection with the true killer, then."

Don nodded and resumed his pacing. "He knew them. Maybe he works for those people as a gardener or a... a cleaner. The elderly couple was found in their house and there was no trace of forced entry."

"If he worked for them, he would've had a means to enter their homes." Said David, finishing Don's sentence.

"And to use their car. Same for the last couple." Agreed Colby . "He left the boy in the shed in the back garden probably because his parents were in the house. But from outside, you couldn't see the shed so he _had_ to know it was there. He knew the place." Colby nodded forcefully.

"He doesn't need to work for them. He might just be a delivery man." Liz pointed out. "I'm thinking groceries rather than pizzas. They bring whatever you order right into your kitchen. Once inside, it's easy to snoop around or steal a key."

The other agents nodded in agreement.

"That guy is either very clever or very crazy." Stated Charlie in amazement.

"I'd say both. Arrogant too. He probably thinks he's invincible. That makes him even more dangerous. I wish Megan was here, she could've given us a profile on this guy." Commented Don.

"I know Wright wants to keep this investigation as quiet as possible but how are we supposed to work with a reduced team?" Moaned Colby.

Don was still playing with his rubber band, sitting on the edge of a table, looking at the floor.. "You know what? Give Megan a ring and tell her what we have. See if she can come up with something. Don't tell her the target is Wright but tell her it's urgent"

"She'll need to see the pictures of the vics."

"No problem with that. Go. There's no time to lose. He probably has already decided who his next victim would be."

"You think he's gonna kill again?" asked Charlie.

"Oh yeah. No doubt about that. That's why we need your help, Buddy."

"So no pressure hmm?" Charlie replied softly as he looked at his brother.

"What can I say? You're the best." Replied Don with a smile in his eyes "Okay guys. Let's see what we have."

The three agents each took a file while Charlie stood in front of a board, pen in hand.

"Let's start with the cleaner."

Each agent had a quick read through.

"The Manfields used an agency "Quick clean". Their personal cleaner was Mr Ramirez." Announced David.

Liz shook her head. "Nope, the Sullys don't seem to have anyone."

"The Davenport employed a Mrs Pierceval – free-lance. That's not good. What about the gardener?"

"Let's see, the Manfields had a gardener but again it's an agency – "The Green Fingers". No specific employee name."

"Right, the Sullys do have a gardener but from "Californian Parks and Gardens."

"The Davenports, hmm, they used to work at "Green Fingers" until last year when they opened their own business as gardeners."

Charlie started to write frantically. "Maybe... Maybe one employee worked in both agencies. That's a start."

The agents couldn't help smiling at the younger man's enthusiasm. David almost felt sorry for him when he pointed out. "True but let's face it, it's very thin. We need something more significant**.**"

"Yeah, let's check the rest before getting all worked up." Liz agreed in a placating tone.

"Sure ! But this data is not to be ignored." Insisted the professor.

"It won't, Charlie. Let's try the delivery services." Suggested Don .

--

Adrenaline rushed through his system as he entered the FBI building. It was like penetrating the lion's den, both scary and exciting! This time he wasn't after some John Does who couldn't defend themselves. He was about to challenge the FBI and show them that nothing or nobody could stop him. Not even a whole bunch of well-trained agents.

He walked nonchalantly towards the security guards and showed his pass.

"Agent McKenzie." Read one of the guards.

"That's me." He replied pleasantly.

The guard compared the picture on the pass with the man in front of him then entered his ID code into the system.

His heart did a little jump: what if they had already discovered that the real agent McKenzie was lying dead in his apartment, a bullet between the eyes? He had chosen the agent because of their similar height and features. Looking like him had been an easy exercise: some make-up combined with the micromask he used to alter his nose and cheekbones and that did the trick.

The guard looked at the picture on his screen then at him and smiled slightly. "Go ahead."

He gave his suitcase to the guard then placed his badge, gun, cell phone, keys and money on a tray to be scanned while he passed through the metal detector. Then he took his things back and headed towards the elevators, fighting the urge to look over his shoulders to see if the guards were watching him. _But then again, why would they? They didn't know who he really was. _He told himself.

Once arrived on the 7th floor, he looked around. The layout was exactly as per the plan he was given: the break room, the main briefing room, the interrogation room up there. So Eppes and his team should be sitting... in that area. As for Wright's office, it should be to his right along that corridor.

He quickly turned to his left and headed to the restrooms. He pushed open the toilet door and checked that no one was the room. Satisfied that he was alone, he entered the 3rd cubicle and locked the door behind him**. **He started to unscrew the wall panel hiding the flush mechanism and placed it on the floor. He pressed his right arm into the hole in the wall and started to feel along the wall of the tank. He smiled slyly when his fingers met a plastic bag. Very carefully, he recovered it and placed it on the lid of the bowl, Then he opened his suitcase to take a padded envelope out**.** He opened the plastic bag and examined its contents: a mobile phone, some C4, wires and a detonator. Everything seemed to be there and in good condition. He first connected the wires to the C4 and the detonator, then the ringer circuit of the phone to the detonator and taped all components together.

He slipped meticulously the device inside the envelope and stuck a label marked "Agent Eppes."

Then he replaced the wall panel and ensured he had left no trace behind him. He picked up the padded envelope and left the toilets. He glanced at his watch: _10am -_ _The mail should be delivered soon._

He stood by the elevators, pretending to be on the phone. An elevator arrived and he gestured at the people inside to tell them not to wait for him, continuing his imaginary conversation. Soon after, the doors opened again and the employee in charge of the mail got out, pushing his trolley.

He bumped into the trolley with enough force to make several envelopes fall on the floor.

"I'm so sorry." He apologized as helped to pick up the mail, adding his own envelope in the process.

He watched as the employee waved at the reception and started to deliver the post. He passed the control point and walked straight to the breakroom. From there, he could observe what was going on in the whole bullpen. He saw Don and his team leave the briefing room and go back to their desks. Two minutes later, the envelope was in Don's tray.

Satisfied, he returned to the entrance, took his phone and pressed speed dial 1.

"Go" He said as soon as the line went live at the other end and hung up right away. He pushed the exit door and started to walk down. Once he reached the 6th floor, he pressed speed dial 2 calling the phone connected to the bomb.

--

"You have a call from Mr Jackson, Sir. Do you want to take it?"

"Not now, Sally. Tell him I'll call him later this week." _If I'm still alive,_ thought Wright as he released the button on the intercom. He leaned back and rested his head against the back of his armchair.

He hated to feel so powerless. The CIA and the FBI wanted to keep a lid on this – _Well, it's never good for business to admit that one of your men is a traitor_. But that meant no additional manpower and time was running against them. He knew Eppes and his men were working as fast as they could but probably not fast enough. There would be more deaths, because of him.

A little bell on his PC rang, warning him that a new message had arrived. He activated his screen and opened his email. He frowned: no sender's name. He clicked on the message and his heart stopped: a little animated ghost crossed the screen dragging a bomb. It stopped in the middle of the screen and said in a funny voice "Hello Wright, Guess who it is? Since killing unknown people doesn't seem to affect you much, what about your own men?

The little ghost lifted the bomb and carried on "Eppes and his team have 30 seconds left before..." Wright never heard the end of the message, he was already in the corridor, running toward the bullpen.

--

Colby entered the briefing room and found a very frustrated group.

"What's going on?" asked Granger.

David shook he head, upset. "We can't find one single connection between those people. We tried every possible combination. Nothing!" He gestured towards him. "If you have any ideas, please don't feel shy to express them."

Colby looked at the board for a minute, holding his chin then made a face. "No. Seems you have considered all the possibilities."

"Obviously we haven't. There's no way these murders were perpetrated at random."

"I agree with Don," Confirmed Charlie "There has to be some commonality... but I fail to see it." He leant against the wall and crossed his arms, concentrating hard.

Colby could feel the frustration in the room: Liz was tapping her foot nervously on the floor, checking the file she was holding, David was chewing his pen angrily. Charlie was still staring at the board as if the answer would magically appear and Don was pacing looking at the floor, his right hand scratching absently at the back of his head.

_Right, if both brothers were struck, the situation was really bad_, he thought.

"Did you manage to speak to Megan?" Don asked.

"Yes. I sent her the pics as well. She said she'd come back to me in an hour max."

"At least one bit of good news." Suddenly Don stood still, looked at the board, turned around and left the room. Surprised, the rest of the team followed him.

"Let's try another approach." He announced.

"What are you thinking?" Asked Charlie.

The lead agent noticed the envelope on his desk and picked it up. He was about to answer when, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw AD Wright running towards them, waving at him. "Eppes," the AD shouted "It's a bomb!"

Everybody looked at the envelope Don was holding and in a split second all the agents around reacted as one and rushed towards the exit. David saw the confusion on Charlie's face and grabbed the professor. "Charlie, move!"

Don threw the envelope inside one of the drawers of his desk, slammed it shut and ran. He was few meters away when he heard the phone ringing. A deafening noise followed by shuttering glass filled the bull pen. The agent felt the heat surrounding him then the shock of the explosion sent him violently against a wall before he hit the floor. Groggy, he raised his head and squinted, trying to see Charlie. A thick white smoke coming from his desk started to spread in the office. Few meters in front of him, he saw David helping Liz to get up, then Colby. He finally made out his brother, trying to sit down, blood on his face and staring at him with huge eyes. Charlie was talking to him but the roaring in his ears was too loud and seemed to increase by the second. He tried to reach out, to say he was okay but the smoke suddenly thickened around him. Everything went white… then black.

TBC

--

Wendy, I know I said I wouldn't harm Don but what can I say? I'm as bad as everybody else. It seems we cannot resist hurting him. Not too sure why. Tough love maybe? :-)


	4. Chapter 4

Very sorry for the delay. I had Part IV completed - It just needed the finishing touch when I lost my USB key with my story on it. I usually keep a copy on my PC but not this time, of course. So I had to re-write the whole Chapter. Anyway, here it is. Thank you for your patience.

Chapter Four

David leant against the door frame of the breakroom and looked around, holding his coffee with both hands, a knot in his stomach. The area where the team usually sat looked like a war zone: there was glass everywhere, all the surrounding partitions were destroyed, what used to be Don's desk was now a pile of wood and twisted metal and the adjacent cubicles were devastated. The four agents and the professor had to be relocated to the main briefing room.

An acrid smell was still floating in the air, stinging the eyes and tickling the throat. The bomb squad had just left after reassuring everybody about the gas: "Not poisonous," the captain had explained. "Very irritant but not harmful."

Once the area was declared safe, all the agents came back and started to clean the place.

David took a deep breath to try and relax. He knew it could have been so much worse. Not just because of the blast but mainly because of the numerous glass panels separating the booths. Most of them had exploded. Fortunately the partitions were made of "Securit Glass", like the glass fitted on cars. It burst into small pieces, flying everywhere and hitting people like pebbles causing cuts and bruises but they weren't razor sharp like shards of normal glass - _Otherwise, it would've been a bloodbath. Yes,_ Sinclair thought, _amazingly everybody escaped with minor injuries. Well, almost everybody._

David's eyes fell on Charlie, sitting at a table, surrounded by files and typing manically on his PC despite the bandage on his right hand. He would suddenly get up to write some equations on the board before going back to his computer. The agent observed the professor for a whole minute then poured some coffee in another cup and walked over to the younger man.

Charlie barely lifted his head at David's approach. The agent placed the cup in front of the professor.

"I thought you could use a break."

Charlie ignored the comment and pointed at his PC screen instead. "I ran an analysis on the bomb. It was made to kill whoever was standing within a maximum of 3 meters. Beyond that distance, it would only cause damage." He shook his head and looked at David. "I don't get it. If he wanted to kill us, why did he send a warning?"

David shrugged. "He's playing with us. That's why he gave us very little time to react. If Wright hadn't been quick enough, we would've been killed, or badly injured. But whether we survived or not wasn't his concern. We are only pawns in his plan to get to Wright. All this is just a game for him."

Charlie snorted softly. "A game." He took his cup and stared at his coffee in silence.

David put his hand on the young man's arm. "Hey, you're okay?"

Charlie kept staring at his coffee. "When... When I saw him on the floor, covered in blood and I couldn't wake him, I thought... You know," He looked up at David in distress. "I really thought he was... " He trailed off.

David sat in the opposite chair and said with his soft voice. "He's gonna be fine, Charlie."

Charlie looked down at his coffee, shook his head and whispered, more to himself than to David. "I should've gone with him in the ambulance."

"We need you here. The best way to help Don right now is to find this SoB." He grinned slightly. "I don't think you need to worry too much anyway. Last time I saw your brother, he was on a stretcher, trying to sit up and arguing with Wright to get more men on the case. The EMTs threatened to tie him up if he didn't stay still."

"Yeah, that does sound like Don." Charlie commented, half snorting, half smiling.

"He won by the way. Wright agreed to give him five more agents. Believe me, he's gonna be alright."

The younger man nodded forcefully as if to convince himself. He knew his brother was alive. He saw him come to just before the medics took him away. Charlie tried to talk to him but the agent was too woozy and not very coherent. But despite seeing him awake, the professor still couldn't erase the image of his brother, unconscious on the floor. He could still feel the terror seizing him when he thought back of what happened. He knew it was going to haunt him for a long time.

He swallowed to try and get rid of the lump in his throat, breathed deeply through his nose to focus then pointed at two files on the table. "I'm doing a parallel analysis between the psychological profile Megan made of the killer and the one the CIA sent us on Harper. I'm hoping to isolate similarities between both men."

"Apart from killing people as a hobby, you mean?"

""Strangely enough, that's my point. You see, according to Megan, the man started with a severe inferiority complex. He was certainly pathologically shy and withdrawn. You know, the type of guy who lives in his own fantasy world, too afraid to face reality. He's resentful because he's convinced that he deserves a better life. He blames Society because it's easier than blaming himself. Guys like him are usually inoffensive. Even if they complain, they remain passive. The problem is that the killer went from one extreme to the other."

"How's that?"

"Still according to Megan, he has now developed a superiority complex."

David sighed deeply. "We can't win with that guy!"

"As I said, before the man was bitter but harmless. It all changed when he met Harper. The Ghost is a manipulator. He's good at finding people's weakness, that's how he controls them. It must have been pretty easy for him to get that guy work for him. All he had to do was to feed his need of power and his desire of revenge, to give him the kind of recognition he craved for. He probably taught him how to use a gun, make a bomb and so forth. Today, the man probably thinks he's invincible. That is why, he is placing the stakes so high; to impress us and show us what he's capable of. He's totally delusional and that makes him extremely dangerous."

"Great, that means we can expect anything from him." Commented David. "What about the Ghost?"

Charlie tilted his head slightly and made a face. "Not good on that side either. Harper is clever, calculating, well-trained and doesn't feel much for people. These are probably great qualities for the CIA but it is not good news for us. If only I could figure out where and how he chose the other man, I might be able to find where the killer lives."

"Sorry but I can't see the connection between both facts."

Charlie got up and walked to the board. "Harper is highly motivated. Whatever grudge he holds against Wright, it was strong enough to make him come back to the States despite what's awaiting him if he's caught again, right?"

Charlie nodded.

"That's why he's using someone else to do his job. He can't take the risk of being arrested now."

"Okay, I follow and agree with that, but-"

Charlie raised his hand to interrupt him and picked up a pen. "As I said, he likes to control people. To do so, he needs a central position to keep an eye on both Wright and the man he hired." Charlie drew three "Xs" on the board. "These two "Xs" are for Wright; his home and his office. That one is the killer. If you join these three points," he drew a line between each cross, creating a triangle, that he filled in black. "You get an area which is certainly where Harper hides."

"Except that we don't know where the killer lives, Charlie!"

Charlie and David spun around. Don was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. The agent looked drawn, a little pale, multiple small cuts on his face and arms, and a larger one near the hairline barely hidden by the four butterfly plasters on his forehead. The wound had started to turn violet and looked swollen. Colby was standing close behind him, as if he was afraid his boss would collapse.

"Don! Shouldn't you be in hospital!" scolded the professor. "How come they released you so soon? You escaped?"

Don pushed himself from the door, wincing at the pain the movement triggered. "Released? Escaped? Hey, I wasn't in jail or in a psychiatric hospital". He said, pretending to be offended.

Charlie walked to his brother, angry. "I'm not joking, Don. You were knocked unconscious!"

"They checked me out; I'm fine. They said I passed out because I hit my head a little too hard on the floor." He explained, pointing at the bump on his forehead.

"Oh yeah? Well, they didn't see how violently you were thrown against that wall! Did you have Xrays? You could have broken something. What about a concussion? Did they check you for that? Sometimes the symptoms develop hours later. They should have kept you under observation and-"

Don caught his brother by the shoulders, looked at him squarely and said in a placating tone. "Charlie, Charlie! Calm down. I'm pretty sure I've got nothing broken. I would've noticed it by now." He released his brother and added with a semi-grin. "At least, I wasn't embedded in the wall, you know like characters in cartoons."

David and Colby smiled at the joke but Charlie stared at his brother for a second, totally dismayed, then shouted. "This isn't funny, Don! Honestly, I don't get you. You almost got killed! There's nothing to laugh about!"

Don flinched. _Ouch! Maybe not the best time to make jokes. _"I'm sorry, you're right. It's just..." He ran his hand in his hair. "Listen, I'm alive and in one piece... Okay, one aching piece." He admitted. He actually felt like he'd been trampled by a herd of buffalos, _no actually two herds_, but he wasn't going to tell that to his brother or his team of course. He studied Charlie for a while, noticing all the cuts on his face and his banded hand. He frowned. "What about you?"

Charlie waved dismissively. "I'm fine. I was much further from the blast than you."

Don opened his mouth to answer but his words turned into a violent cough, raising even more alarm in his brother.

"It's the gas." Colby explained then added, leaning slightly towards Don. "They told you to take it easy, at the hospital. They said it would be worse when you get stressed. You shouldn't even be at work."

Don glared at the agent, then glanced at his brother then back at the agent but didn't reply. _He was going to have a word with him later, in private. Right now, time to change the subject and focus on the job._

"So Charlie, how do you plan to find out where the killer lives?" He asked once he managed to control his cough.

Keeping his eyes on his brother, Charlie started to explain "By creating a very detailed psychological profile of the man. If I enter variables such as his finance status, his habits, his tastes, his skills et cetera, the computer should be able to calculate the most likely areas where to find him. Megan thinks he can't keep a stable job, just doing little tasks here and there, which means no high income. That eliminates any expensive or residential areas. He is a loner. I doubt he's got a girlfriend or a family, so we'll look for a small studio rather than a house. He hates people, he very likely doesn't have much of a social life. We can dismiss the trendy or crowded places. If he has a superiority complex, he will need to brag about his killings. In a bar most probably. But because of his inferiority complex, he'll go to a low class place where weirdoes like him go unnoticed - people wouldn't believe him anyway. And so on."

Don frowned, surprised and upset. "Charlie, that won't work! You're basing your search on assumptions. I know Megan is a good profiler but what if she made mistakes? We don't know that guy at all. You say he has no money. For all we know, he could have inherited a fortune and be living in a palace. You can't rely only on what Megan said. You're just guessing there!"

"I know that!" Charlie retorted, exasperated and hurt that his brother could believe that he hadn't considered that point. "That's why I'm running a similar analysis on Harper. The CIA's profile was based on actual facts. Wright also provided me with some very interesting pieces of information on him. These _aren't_ hypotheses; they knew each other very well. And I remind you that you didn't give me much data to work on, so I have to make do with what I have, even if that means making mostly suppositions."

Don calmed down and tapped gently on his brother's shoulder as an apology. "Okay Buddy, go on then. Colby, help him. Let us know if you come up with something."

His phone rang. "Eppes...What do you have?" Don waved at the professor. "Liz's just sent you a link to the video surveillance of the floor. Looks like they've got something".

He switched on the loudspeaker of his cell phone.

"Okay, it's arrived". Charlie clicked on the link and played the video on the large flat screen hung on the wall.

"Look at the man who bumped into the mail trolley. Zoom in on his hands when he picks up the letters." Liz ordered.

The three agents and the professor watched as the man slid his own envelope amongst the others then gave the whole pack back to the employee. They saw him entering the bullpen, going to the breakroom, coming back out and leaving.

"He took the stairs." David commented. "He knew the elevators would be blocked as soon as Security heard about the bomb."

The agents followed the man's movements from camera to camera as he ran down the stairs. Arrived on the 2nd floor, he suddenly stopped when the door opened and people started to go downstairs. The bomb had set off the alarm and the staff was evacuating the building.

The staircase became more and more crowded and the agents soon lost track of him.

"Liz, are you still in the control room?"

"Yes, Don"

"Ask the technician to view the tapes from the cameras covering the exits. I want to know if he left the building. I've got two men watching over Wright but I'd feel better if I knew where he went."

"Hold on. We're checking."

Don turned to his men "He showed a FBI pass to the guard when he entered the bullpen. I want his ID."

"I'm on it." David picked up the phone just as Liz came back on line.

"We've got him. We send you the video now. You're not gonna like it, Don." She warned.

The large screen lit up again, showing a corridor filled with people walking towards a fire exit.

The agents squinted to try and find him, without much chance.

"We can't see him. Liz."

"Hang on. We switch to the camera above the fire exit. Can you see him, now?"

Charlie was the first to locate him and pointed at the monitor.

"There! There he is."

The man was approaching calmly. He showed his pass to the guard posted at the door then he looked up straight at the camera, smiled and with a mock salute walked out.

"You have to admit, he's good." Colby commented with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"Yeah, either that or he's too crazy to realise the danger." Proposed Walker

"I think he does. Well, not entirely." Charlie intervened. "Remember the inferiority/superiority complex thing? His behaviour fits perfectly with the description Megan made. He thinks he's invincible."

Don made no comments but his frustration was plainly visible on his face.

"I've got an ID" David announced, putting the phone down. "Security have him registered as Agent Mike McKenzie".

Don put his hand on his nape and worked his neck to try and loosen it. _The day was getting better and better._ _Now they had an FBI agent as main suspect in __multiple __killings and__ a__ bombing._ He shook his head. No, there had to be more to it. "What do we know about him?"

"I can tell you he's dead." Lt Walker stepped into the room. "The real McKenzie was found shot in his apartment, half an hour ago. Same MO as the others, including the note." He placed a note in a plastic bag on the table "AD Wright – 4".

Don brushed his face with his hands. _God, this guy will never stop_. He sat at a computer next to his brother's PC.

"Charlie, see if you can get a good front-on picture of that guy. Try when he looked at the camera just before he left."

Don retrieved McKenzie's picture from the agent's FBI file and forwarded it to his brother.

"Now, place both photos next to each other". The pictures appeared on the large screen. The lead agent walked to the screen. "Good. See? The shape of the mouth is different and this one has a slightly wider nose. It's definitely not the same guy."

"So, unless McKenzie has a double or an evil twin..." Colby trailed off

David quickly verified in the agent's personnel file. "Nope, he's an only child."

"Then," carried on Colby. "The only thing I can think of is a micromask".

"A micromask?" Asked Charlie, frowning.

"It's an ultra thin plastic mask. The CIA use it for their cover operations. They can alter their faces and become unrecognisable. To remove it, you just peel it and throw it away." Don sighed, angry. "Another little gift from Harper, I assume."

"How did he get the bomb in the building?" Wondered David. "I mean, the security measures are very tight here. Even posing as an agent, he would've never been allowed to walk in with C4 on him."

"You're thinking of an inside job." Walker said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"David, I want to know if we're holding any C4 in the premises, as evidence in a case or otherwise. If so, I want a list of those who have access to it: staff, agents on the case, people from the DA's office, everybody. We need to..."

A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over Don and he swayed dangerously. He closed his eyes and held on to the back of a chair to keep his balance. Charlie shot up onto his feet to catch his brother and forced him to sit down.

"Wow, man. Are you okay?" Asked David, moving quickly to help him.

"You should've stayed in hospital." Charlie muttered in a stubborn tone.

Don opened slowly his eyes. The room was steady again, _good_. "Focus on your analysis, Chuck." He replied in a low voice.

Charlie hesitated then sat back at his desk. "If you pass out and crack your head, don't count on me to explain why to Dad."

Don pointed a finger at him. "Hey! Not a word to Dad, okay?"

"Oh yeah! Like he's not going to notice that we're both covered with cuts and bruises and that you can hardly stand. I called him by the way," Don glared at him and opened his mouth to protest but Charlie added quickly. "Just to let him know we were alive. I didn't go into details. I left that to you."

"I'm _fine_!" Insisted Don as he got up slowly. "It's just a headache." _Okay, __maybe a bit more than a headache__. Water, painkiller, yeah that sounded like a good plan._

David and Colby couldn't help but shake their heads as they watched their boss walking a little unsteadily through the bullpen, but none of them dared say anything. Colby moved just enough to be able to keep an eye on him.

Don was entering the breakroom when he noticed two men quietly talking and sipping coffee. His heart missed a beat and he rushed in the room, fuming.

"Parson? What the hell are you doing here? Who's with Wright?"

"Easy Eppes. Miller's babysitting him."

"No, not anymore." Miller entered and put the kettle on. "He's now the responsibility of the CIA."

"What?" He stared at the men, in disbelief. "Am I surrounded by morons?"

Miller looked at Don, surprised and offended. "Hey, hold on a minute, Eppes. A guy came and said he was taking over. I checked his story and spoke to his boss. Everything's alright." He assured.

"No it's not! The CIA would never send anyone without telling me." Furious, he turned around and rushed to Wright's office. "I can't believe this." He muttered to himself.

Don's heart missed a second beat when Wright's assistant confirmed. "Yes, he's just left with a CIA agent."

"When was that?" He asked anxiously.

"Just now. A minute ago. Mr Wright said they knew each other and that everything was alright."

The agent went pale. "Harper!"

When his team saw Don waving at them, sprinting to the elevators and squeezing between the doors before they closed, they knew something was _very_ wrong.

"Charlie, stay here." David ordered before the professor could say anything and started to run, followed by Colby and Walker.

David pressed the buttons of the elevators.

"I'll take the stairs!" shouted Colby

David was about follow his friend when the doors finally opened and he and Walker rushed inside.

--

On his way down, Don called Security to ask them to stop whoever was with AD Wright. When the guards answered that no one had showed up in the lobby yet, Eppes went directly to the car park in the basement.

He drew his gun just before the doors opened and got out very carefully. On his right, he saw a man holding the AD by the arm, walking him to his car. Don couldn't see any weapon but knew the man was armed. He placed himself in the central aisle, held his Glock with both hands and shouted. "FBI, Stay where you are!"

The man swiftly turned around, pushing Wright in front of him, a gun now pointed at his hostage. He put his arm around the AD's throat in a strangulation hold.

"Come, come agent. Why don't you put your gun down and let us go?" He said in a very calm, almost amused voice.

"That's not gonna happen, Harper and you know it." Don replied while approaching slowly until he was a few meters away from them.

Wright shook his head slightly. "Eppes, he won't hesitate to kill you. Enough people died because of us-"

"Of you!" Harper snapped angrily, tightening his hold on Wright's throat. The AD grabbed the other man's arm with both hands, trying to release the pressure. "You alone are responsible for their deaths." He pointed his gun at Don "And if you don't want to be the next on the list, drop your weapon and step back."

Don didn't move. At that moment, a car and a van arrived on each side of the aisle. The agent hesitated to shoot, not sure whether they were accomplices or just unlucky drivers. He regretted it bitterly when both drivers got out and aimed at him with submachine guns.

Harper had now regained his calm. He smiled and ordered in a pleasant tone. "Now agent, drop your gun before one of my men gets nervous and does something you might regret."

Swearing under his breath, Don slowly put his Glock on the floor and raised his hands slightly.

The van moved and stopped level with the car. Harper opened the back doors of the van and shoved Wright inside. The driver handcuffed the AD to one of the seats whilst the other man kept Don covered.

Harper looked at Don and smiled ironically. "No hard feelings, agent. Be thankful to be alive. I could 've blown you up this morning."

Don looked at Harper. He needed to gain some time until his team arrived.

As if they heard his thoughts, first Colby rushed out of the stairs then a second later, the elevator doors opened on David and Walker.

Harper and the other gunmen glanced briefly in the direction of the agents. But this half second was all Don needed. He jumped on Harper, grabbed his hand holding the gun and pushed him against the door of the van, trying to disarm him. He heard Colby and David shouting "FBI", followed by an exchange of gunshots.

David, Colby and Walker swiftly took shelter behind the 4x4 next to them when the bullets started to fly in their direction. The windscreen exploded under the projectiles and glass rained on them. They fired back but their pistols didn't have much weight against the submachine guns.The three men tried to assess the situation; one shooter had taken position behind the front of the van whereas the other one was standing at the rear of the vehicle, standing between the agents and Don. Even if they could find a good angle, Colby and David knew it was too risky to shoot as their leader was right in the line of fire. They were trapped and needed to move if they wanted to help Eppes and Wright. Another round of bullets lodged themselves in the 4x4 and the surrounding cars. _No, they weren't going anywhere_.

Don balled his fist and hit the Ghost in the jaw. Just when he thought he had the situation back on track, he felt a pair of hands pulling him back. He kicked his attacker hard in the leg and elbowed him. The man cried out and released him.

Unfortunately, Don's body was still stiff and aching from the results of the blast, slowing down his reflexes and hindering his movements. He saw it coming, raised his hand in protection but wasn't fast enough to fend off the blow. Harper hit him with his gun, catching him right on the side of the head. A sharp pain crossed his skull and Don's sight suddenly blackened. He blinked furiously, trying to stay conscious and took one step back before his legs ceased to support him. The cemented floor came rushing and he put his hands in front of him in an attempt to protect his fall. His last conscious thought was that maybe he should've stayed in hospital after all.

Harper and the other man put Don in the van while the third man carried on shooting in the direction of the three men. Then he jumped in the driver's seat and drove away. Colby, David and Walker rushed in the aisle and started to fire at the vehicle but the back doors reopened and Harper shot at them with a submachine gun. The three men threw themselves on the floor and behind the parked cars. They watched powerless as the van disappeared at the end of the aisle.

Furious, Colby hit the hood of a car next to him, causing a large dent. But none of the three men noticed it. Don and the AD had just been kidnapped and that was all that mattered.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter three

Part V

"They took Don?" Charlie felt his legs give up under him and he sank down onto a chair.

"And AD Wright." Added Merrick. He had been called in as soon as Wright had been reported missing.

The professor didn't answer but his face clearly showed that the AD wasn't exactly his main concern at the moment. He knew he should be ashamed to feel that way but frankly he didn't really care. Right now, all he wanted was his brother back.

"The vehicles they used were reported stolen this morning. I put a trace on the van but so far, nothing. Forensics are working on the car they left in the parking lot but I'd be surprised if they find any evidence. How far along in your analysis are you, Charlie?"

Charlie started and looked at David. "Uh, the computer is still processing." He replied almost apologetically.

"We must act quickly. I don't think they're planning to let them live." Merrick stated, impatiently.

Charlie shot off his chair. "Don't you think I know that?" He was painfully aware that his brother's life might be hanging on his findings. He didn't need anybody to remind him. _If he had entered the wrong info or made a mistake in the algorithm... _No, no, he didn't want to think of it. It had to be right; there was no time to double-guess himself anymore. "I should get something on Harper very soon." _Hopefully._

Colby nodded. "We definitely need to focus on him. Guys like him don't like to change their MO. I've just read some of his reports and I noticed that he always kept his 'witnesses', as he called them, in abandoned buildings containing a cold store."

"Cold stores?" Charlie asked, surprised.

Colby made a face. "Yeah. He didn't explain why and I'm not sure I wanna know." He enumerated on his fingers, "There was one old abattoir, two frozen food warehouses, even a cryogenics research lab. Each place had shut down only few days before he used it." He shook his head slowly. "The guy is very well informed and inventive; he never uses the same place twice." He remembered something else. "They were also located in outlying areas."

Merrick glared at Colby suspiciously. "How did you get these reports? All his operations with the CIA were classified."

"I didn't steal them if that's what you're implying. I still have some good contacts within the Agency, believe it or not. I followed normal procedure and that's the reason it took so long to have access to them." The young agent looked at Merrick, defiantly. "No one from our side seemed eager to help us and I wonder why?"

The AD screwed his eyes, not liking the obvious insolence in the agent's tonebut said nothing.

"Colby, I'll need the list of the places he used before. That'll narrow down the possibilities. There shouldn't be so many deserted cold stores around LA." He stopped and thought aloud. "Maybe I should ask Dad. He might be able to help us on this."

Merrick closed his eyes and sighed. _No, not the father? He could hardly handle both brothers!_

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Professor." He said, as kindly as possible.

"My father was a city planner." Insisted Charlie. "He knows LA and its surroundings like the back of his hand and I believe-"

"I don't care what you believe! I don't want another Epp... civilian on this case. Do I make myself clear?"

A little taken aback, Charlie was about to object when David put his hand on his arm and shook his head.

Ignoring Merrick's outburst, Colby handed a sheet of paper to the professor. "I knew you'd ask for it. This is the complete list and some details about the places that I thought might be useful. But most buildings have been destroyed since then, you know."

Charlie almost snatched the list from Colby's grip, before sitting back in front of his computer. "That's good. It doesn't matter."

David's cell phone rang. "Sinclair… You have? Great job! We're on our way." He flipped his phone shut and motioned quickly towards the door. "LAPD have located the van. Harper abandoned it three blocks away."

"They knew you'd be searching for it. Their only option was to change the vehicle rapidly." The professor said.

"He probably had another one ready, waiting for them. He planned every detail." Colby agreed.

The two agents were already outside the meeting room when Charlie called out to them. "Wait! I'm coming with you."

Colby turned around. "Charlie, it'd be better if you stayed here. Your computer-" he started.

"I can take it with me."

"Uh, I don't think you'll be allowed…" David trailed off

Everybody looked at Merrick expectantly. Reluctantly, he replied in a breath. "Okay, go ahead." Then he added quickly "Sinclair, he is _your_ responsibility."

"Yes, Sir."

Charlie promptly disconnected his laptop and, holding it tightly against him with both hands, ran behind the two agents.

--

A few minutes later, the suburban stopped in a narrow backstreet, followed moments later by the forensics team. Lt Walker and four policemen were waiting for them near the van. Charlie approached, his eyes riveted on the vehicle. One of the back doors was open and the Lieutenant pushed it shut. Charlie's heart started to pound franticly. _Walker didn't want him to see what was inside. Was it his brother? Oh God! His brother with a bullet between the eyes like the other victims?_ He ran the last few meters separating him from the van and reached out to open the door. Horrified, one of the CSI agents started to shout but Colby reacted quickly and pulled Charlie back.

"Don't touch anything. You're going to contaminate the scene!"

Charlie yanked his hand away. "What's inside?" As soon as he asked, he realised he wasn't so sure he wanted to know.

"The van is empty but we found blood." Walker admitted.

Charlie's stomach churned "Don's." he whispered.

"We don't know that yet." David replied softly. "Forensics have just arrived. Let them do their job before jumping to conclusions."

The professor nodded absently, thinking; _Don had to be alive; hurt –maybe seriously- but alive. Harper would've gotten rid of his brother if he'd been dead_. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he noticed a eHe aaaaaaaacamera fixed on the side of a building nearby. He pointed at it. "Look! Maybe they recorded something." He turned to the agents, excited. "If we know what car they took, we might also be able to track their route using the ITS; you know, the traffic surveillance system."

Walker looked warily at the device. From where he stood, it didn't look in very good condition. He gestured to one of his men. "See if we can get a tape or something. That is, if the cam works of course." He muttered to himself.

"Professor," called one of the policemen standing near the suburban. "Your laptop is beeping."

Charlie whipped around and ran back to the SUV. He had left his computer on the back seat to let it carry on its processing. _Beeping meant a result. Things were moving, at last!_

--

Don groaned and reached for his head but a hand grabbed his and held it down.

"Don't. Your head is messy enough. No need to make it worse."

Don recognised the voice and for a second, he wondered what his boss was talking about. Then everything came back to him in a flash, including his headache.

"Are you alright, Sir?" He managed to say.

"Much better than you, it seems."

Without opening his eyes, Don tried to sit up. Wright put a hand on his shoulder to keep him still.

"Don't move. He hit you rather hard. You probably have a concussion this time."

Don forced his eyes open to glance at his watch but the room started to spin and he quickly closed his eyes.

"How long I've been out?" He asked instead.

"Almost an hour. I started to worry to be honest. At last, you're not bleeding anymore."

"Bleeding?" Don frowned slightly.

"Your head." Then the AD asked, alarmed. "You don't remember what happened?"

The younger man lifted his hand and carefully touched his forehead then the side of his head. Dried blood was now covering most of the butterfly plasters and his hair above his right ear.

"Oh! Don't worry, I do" He tried again to open his eyes. His head was still swimming but it seemed to settle down. So, very slowly, he looked around, moving his head only when necessary. They were in an empty room, the windows were obstructed by metallic shutters but the lights were on.

"I don't know where we are," explained Wright before the agent could ask. "They blindfolded me."

Don lifted his hand to look at his watch: 3.30pm. Yes, they'd been gone for over an hour. Right, time to take stock: headache? _Oh yeah! Definitely_ - Nausea? _No_ - Dizziness? _Yes but being knocked out twice in the same day tends to do that to a man_ – Sight? _Not blurry, back to normal_. _Alright, 2 symptoms out of 4; with any luck I don't have a concussion_, he thought ever so optimistic. He decided to sit up.

"Eppes, I don't think that's a good idea-" started Wright.

"I'm fine, Sir. Honestly." He managed to lean awkwardly against the wall. His head seemed to weight a ton. He tried to shift in a more comfortable position but couldn't hold back a short moan when his body protested vigorously against the abuse it had suffered all day.

"I'm truly sorry, Eppes." Wright said in a sad voice.

Don looked at him intensely then finally asked. "Why did you follow Harper? One word from you and he was captured. You couldn't be in a safer place than at the Bureau."

"Safer?" the AD snorted. "What about the bomb this morning?"

"That's not the same." Don retorted. "Harper acted as if he knew you wouldn't resist him despite having hundred of agents around. Anyone could've taken him easily."

Wright shook his head. "I didn't want to risk anybody's life." He said, avoiding Don's look.

Don pursed his lips and considered the other man, warily. The explanation sounded a bit thin to him. He knew the AD had been hiding something since the very beginning of this investigation. He would get to the bottom of it later. For now, there were more urgent things to do than arguing. "We need to get out of here."

Wright gestured towards the door. "Well, the door is pretty thick. The lock... hmm, I've never been very good at picking them anyway. As for the shutters, they're secured from outside."

_That's encouraging._"Right, seems our best option is the lock then."

Don stood up slowly using the wall, found he was rather steady despite a splitting headache and walked a bit stiffly to the door. Very quickly, he realised that the lock was one of these fancy security ones that even locksmiths couldn't force open. The only solution would be to drill through it, and since they had no drill...

Don went back to sit down next to Wright, put his arms around his knees and carefully rested his head on them.

"Oh! Don't look so discouraged, gentlemen."

Don and Wright lifted their heads, trying to locate the voice. They soon noticed a small camera next to the light bulb.

Wright stood up angrily and looked straight at the camera. "What do you want, Jack?"

"Well, we have an unfinished business, you and me, _Philip_." The Ghost replied, emphasizing on the AD's first name. Don couldn't quite decide whether it was sarcasm, anger or something else.

"Exactly, you and me. You didn't need to kill those people, or put a bomb at the Bureau," He waved towards Don. "Or take Eppes."

"Ah! There, I plead non-guilty. He gave me no choice."

"No choice? Oh come on! You could've left him in the parking lot."

"True," The Ghost seemed to really enjoy himself. "But I thought it could make the situation more interesting. You seem to care for him and his team. That's a change."

Wright stiffened. "You want to use him as leverage?"

"You said it, I didn't. But now you mentioned it... " Harper trailed off

"Bastard! This is between you and me. Don't take it out on innocent people."

"Innocent?" Harper replied calmly. "I don't think anyone working for the FBI or the CIA can be qualified as "innocent". And from what I saw in the parking lot, Eppes is anything but harmless and defenceless. As for you, Wright, don't worry, we'll have plenty of opportunities to talk."

The two prisoners remained silent, waiting for an explanation. When it was clear that Harper had gone, Wright got up and started to pace to and fro.

Don watched him for a minute then said. "Why do I have the feeling that you didn't tell us everything about your history with that guy?"

Wright stopped, looked at Don and sighed. "There are a few things I did that I wish I hadn't, Eppes."

"Well, we all have our share of regrets, Sir. Especially with the kind of job we do."

"Yes, I know, but..." Wright sat next to the agent. Resting his head against the wall, he looked up at the ceiling.

"Don't you think I deserve the truth?" Insisted Don. "At least, I'll fight on equal ground."

Wright glanced at the agent sideways and half-smiled. He liked the younger agent and his straight-forward attitude. Sure, he was a bit stubborn, quick-tempered and didn't always play by the book, but he knew he could trust him. Granted that, would he understand? _That_ wasn't so certain. But since the agent was in the middle of this mess because of him, he owed him an explanation.

"Yes. I guess that's the least I could do, hmm?" He took a deep breath, looked briefly at Don then straight in front of him and started. "As I told you, I've known Jack Harper for a long time..."

--

The two agents, the Lieutenant and the professor rushed through the bullpen. The computer had finally produced a map of the possible locations where Harper might be holding his hostages, and they were more than impatient to work on it. As they approached the meeting room, they saw Liz and Merrick in the middle of an animated conversation. Merrick's face hardened when the four men came into the room. "Shut the door." He ordered bluntly.

Obediently, Colby closed the door behind him.

Liz said, furious. "With all due respect Sir, I don't care what Wright did or didn't do during that operation. What matters is Don's life... and Wright's too."

Colby looked at Liz. "What's going on?"

She waved the file she was holding. "It looks like a little detail about Harper was left out." She said, looking at Merrick squarely.

Merrick didn't reply and stared at her in defiance and stubborness.

"What detail?" asked Charlie and David in unison.

"That the Ghost is Wright's half brother."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter three

Disclaimer: Don, Charlie and the other characters still do not belong to me.

--

Part VI

"Your half brother! Now that explains a lot; why you didn't raise the alarm when he came to the office, why he can't bring himself to kill you and transfers his anger on to others."

Wright nodded slowly and looked at Don, ill at ease. "That's the reason he took you." He confirmed.

"Lucky me." Don whispered.

"My sister and I, we always let him get away with everything. I know it's not an excuse but he's our younger brother, you see." Don nodded. _Yes, he could see_. "He wasn't like that when he was younger but I must admit he always had a tendency to take advantage of people, to manipulate them. I realise that now. But back then, we thought it was cute, even funny the way he got our parents and relatives round his little finger." He shrugged sorrowfully. "He was taking advantage of us, even at that time. He is what he is today because of us, because we never gave him any boundaries, we let him do what he wanted. My sister and I always over-protected him and defended him even when we knew it wasn't right. Today, I feel still compelled to defend him." He looked at Don, hesitantly. "You must find me pathetic, hmm?"

Don looked at him intensely for a moment before replying. "No. I understand that. I used to look after Charlie when we were kids. I guess I keep doing it today, although we're both adults. Age has nothing do to with it. It's just... I care for him and the fact that he consults, I mean consulted for the FBI placed him under my responsibility, whether he liked it or not. Our relationship is still complicated and tense on occasion and Charlie can be a little... obstinate-"

The AD smiled sarcastically. "I heard his brother was quite stubborn too."

Don smiled back. "I prefer persistent. What I'm trying to say is that despite our differences, we care for and respect one another too much to deliberately hurt each other."

The AD snorted a laugh. "When I was 10, I was persuaded that younger brothers had been invented just to ruin their elder brother's lives. Well, mine certainly did..." He glanced at Don. "Yours did a pretty good job too. He put you in an impossible position with the FBI when he sent that email."

Don looked at him in shock. "No! No, you can't compare Harper with Charlie! My brother never meant any harm. He sent that email because he thought it was right. He... he hates injustice and it was his way to fight it. The difference with Harper is that he never did anything by malice, you know? I mean, he has his heart in the right place, he would never do anything that could hurt people, me included. He just didn't think of the consequences that his act would have on me or my work. He never killed anyone. He is _not_ a criminal! Maybe a bit naive, I give you that, but definitely _not _a criminal!"

Wright stared at Don in the eyes and asked in an angry tone. "May I ask you a question, Eppes?"

Don nodded silently.

"What would you have done at my place? Would you denounce your brother to the authorities if you knew he was a traitor?"

Don remained silent, thinking. He had tried to help Charlie. Alright, the offence wasn't as serious as Harper's but he _did_ try to help him. He shook his head. "I don't know, Sir. I honestly don't know. But again, Charlie isn't Harper. His motives were different."

The AD's expression on his face softened. "You're right. They're totally different. Your brother is a good man, which is far from what I can say about Jack." He snorted sadly. "You see, even today I keep defending him and God know he doesn't deserve it."

"I guess that's what big brothers are made for." Don offered as a consolation. "So what do you think his next move will be?"

"His mind is too twisted for us to out-think him, I'm afraid."

Don rested his head against the wall. _Brilliant_! They were trapped in the room at the mercy of a psychopath and all they could do was to hope that the cavalry arrived in time.

--

"We have fifteen possible places." Charlie announced, pointing at the map on the screen.

Colby jumped. "Fifteen? That many? Charlie, we don't have the resources, nor the time to search fifteen places! We must narrow that number down."

"Ok." The professor replied calmly. He pressed his hands together in front of his mouth as if to pray and thought. "You said he uses places that have just shut down. I went for two weeks. Is that correct?"

"No, make it one week at most. I guess he needs electricity for whatever he does with the cold stores. The current is usually cut several days after the buildings are shut down."

"Okay, let's say seven days then." Charlie modified his algorithm and dots disappeared from the map. "Seven left."

"That's better."

David rushed into the room. "We've got a track on the van. The cam you saw on the building showed them changing cars. The angle wasn't too good but we saw Harper and two men taking Wright."

"What about Don?" Charlie interrupted him anxiously.

"He was still unconscious. They carried him into the vehicle. Walker has just despatched its details to LAPD. We managed to follow them for a while with the ITS but they turned in an area not covered by CCTV. And that was no coincidence. They knew exactly where to go to lose us."

Liz got up and walked to the screen. "What was their last position?"

"There." David indicated a point on the map. "Heading North. But they could be anywhere now."

Colby shook his head. "No, not anywhere. They won't take the risk to cross LA again, not in a car wanted by all the police departments, with two hostages."

"Unless they changed cars again." Liz suggested.

"They would do that if they intended to drive for a long distance. But they won't; too risky. Harper wants to settle scores with Wright and leave the country as soon as possible. Staying would make no sense."

"Alright, let's see, if we ignore the South, we end up with..." Charlie squinted at the screen, waiting for the result. "Five places." He said looking up at the agents around him.

"Oh! I like these two!" Colby fingered with his index at two dots on the map. "That one is close to the coast and that one to a private airport. Both perfectly positioned to escape in case of trouble. If I were Harper, I'd go for either of them."

"Very well. You and Liz take the one on the docks, I take the airport. Miller, Parson, Richie go check the three remaining ones." David ordered. "Everybody stays in radio contact. If you get something, call for a SWAT team immediately. Let's go!"

--

Don was feeling increasingly light-headed and hot, beads of sweat covering his brow and upper lip. He tried to stay as still as possible; his eyes didn't seem to follow his head movements and he had to close them more and more often to avoid being too dizzy. Wright noticed the change in the agent's condition.

"Don, you should lie down." He said softly.

"I'm fine, Sir." He muttered without moving.

"Of course you are, but you should still lie down." The AD replied, gently forcing the agent down, making sure his head didn't bump against the floor. "I knew you had a concussion." He whispered to himself.

He shook lightly the other man's shoulder. "Stay awake, Don."

"'m awake." Advised the agent.

The door opened violently and Harper and his two gunmen entered.

"Hello, brother." He gestured towards Don. "Looks like your friend here isn't feeling too good. " He crouched next to Don. "Feeling hot, Agent Eppes? I've got just what you need."

He nodded at his men who lifted the agent, holding him by the arms. Wright took a step forward. "Leave him. He's wounded. Take me instead."

Harper tilted his head and said. "Oh! Isn't that nice? So much compassion for others**. ** For anybody but _me_, hmm?" He handcuffed Wright.

"I never meant you any harm, Jack."

The Ghost raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No? What exactly do you think you did when you denounced me? Because of you, I spent years in prison."

Wright flinched. "For God sake, what do you want from me?"

The Ghost glared at him. "I suffered because of you. Your turn now."

Wright took a threatening step but Harper lifted his gun. "Don't even think of it. Move." He gestured to the door and Wright followed the two men holding Don. He could see the agent was struggling to stay on his feet.

"Where is the other guy?" Harper frowned at Don with a questioning look. "The killer you hired," Don explained. Talking was becoming difficult but he needed to know. "I don't think he's any of these gorillas." The men didn't appreciate his comments and one raised his hand to slap the agent but Harper stopped him with a glare.

"Oh! Him." The Ghost replied with a pleasant tone. "Well, he's doing a little job for me at the moment. He's a good student, very gifted and creative. But he's the least of your problems right now, Agent Eppes."

They stopped in front of a large and heavy insulated door. When one of the men pulled it open, cool air escaped from the inside of the room. Don raised his head seeing shelves and two rails crossing the room, hooks hanging on the rails. Although he was in no shape to fight, Don tried to resist the men anyway. They tightened their grip on the agent's arms, forcing him inside. They tied his wrists with a rope, then forced his arms up and passed the rope around a hook. Don's shoulders were stretched to their limits and the rope started to tear the skin around his wrists.

Wright stepped into the room but Harped pulled him back. "Not you. Say bye-bye to Eppes, Brother."

The Ghost closed the door and turned the thermostat down.

A draft of icy air started to spread in the room and suddenly, Don realised where he was; _a refrigerated room!_ _And he was hanging like a piece of meat... dead meat if he didn't react quickly._

The thought sent a rush of adrenalin in his system and he started a seesaw movement with his hands to try and wear the rope out, ignoring the burning sensation as the rope cut deeper into his flesh.

He knew he wouldn't last long in his condition. His strength was fading quickly and his breathing was becoming laborious. He was feeling both burning hot and freezing; he didn't know which sensation was stronger. It didn't matter anyway, he needed to free himself. He concentrated on the rope.

--

Colby slowed down the SUV as he entered the docks. The yard had closed the previous month to be relocated a few miles South but this part had remained in use until the week before. That was where food and medications used to be stored.

Colby stopped the car and observed the dockside warehouse with his binoculars. There were two stores, one main entry, two back exits and the loading deck.

Liz, sitting in the passenger seat, stated. "There doesn't seem to be any activity."

"No, but that doesn't mean the place's empty. Let's go check closer."

They got out and ran to the adjacent building then, very carefully, started to approach the storehouse. The roller shutter was down and they couldn't see any light on. Silently, they moved along the facade and headed for the shutter. As they passed a window, they heard a voice inside. They couldn't hear the words but it was definitely a man talking. They drew their weapons and Colby tried to open the main door finding it locked.

He signalled Liz to carry on to the loading dock. A small opening with a dirty window on the side allowed the young woman to peer inside. She turned to Colby and pointed her index and middle fingers to her eyes then thumbed at the opening.

Colby walked over to her and looked; the light was dim but he could still make out the outlines of a car. Colby nodded. It was Harper's. He checked the roller shutter; it was activated electronically and alarmed. There was no way to get inside without setting it off.

The two agents went back to their car. Colby called Control on the way asking for back-up and a SWAT team.

"I'm on my way too." David responded on the radio.

Ten minutes later, David joined his friends. "SWAT team's not here yet?" He asked.

Colby looked at his watch impatiently. The gesture reminded them of Don and the three agents got even more anxious.

--

Harper pushed Wright onto a chair and turned on a monitor placed on a table. The black and white image of Don struggling to stay up appeared.

"How long do you think he's gonna hold on? With a concussion, I'd say one hour max. What do you say? Shall we bet? Like we used to do when we were kids?"

"You're sick, Jack. You know that?"

Harper slapped him brutally, splitting his lower lip. "No, I'm not sick, Phil. I'm angry."

Wright looked at him with a mix of sadness and horror. "You're going to kill a man because you're angry. I call that sick."

Harper took his gun out and aimed it at Wright. "Shut up or I shoot you. I swear I will."

"No you won't. You can't."

Harper's hands started to shake and he lowered his weapon. To ease his frustration, he again brutally slapped his brother. "But your man's gonna die... slowly and painfully."

Wright was about to answer back when one of the gunmen opened the door and whispered something into Harper's ear. The Ghost nodded sharply then turned to his brother. "I need to take care of a little matter. I won't be long. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show." He said, gesturing toward the monitor.

--

Don blinked away the sweat but his sight remained blurred. Frosted clouds escaped from his mouth and nose at each breath. His throat and his chest were hurting as if an invisible icy hand was squashing him. He tried to regulate his breathing. _He didn't want to pass out. He had to hold on. He could do it, stay conscious and unhook himself._

He stopped; wearing the rope out would take too long, he decided to try another technique. Standing on his toes, he started to push the hook inch by inch to roll it up around the rope. He was amazed at how heavy it was or maybe his strength was betraying him? His fingers were going numb due to the cold and the lack of blood and he could hardly feel the iced metal under his touch. The more he pushed, the heavier the hook was. It was half way up when he lost his grip on it. His fingers slipped and the hook fell back heavily in its original position, pulling sharply on the rope and Don's wrists and shoulders. The agent screamed out in pain and frustration.

He was out of breath, dizzy, feeling weaker and weaker but more determined than ever to get out of there. _He was not going to die here!_

He rested his head against his arms, trying to catch his breath, working his hands to bring back some blood in them and tried again. Inch by inch he pushed the hook, rolling it up around the cord. _Almost there._ He stood as high on his toes as he could. _Almost there._ His grip was more and more precarious but he concentrated on keeping his fingers around the hook. _Almost there._ He breathed to himself as an encouragement "Come on, you can do it."

In a final effort, he pressed as hard as he could on his feet and jumped while pushing the hook forward. It balanced and for a second the point seemed caught with the rope then... he was free. He collapsed on the floor, drained, breathless, in pain but happy and relieved... until he realised he couldn't move anymore. For once his body was stronger than his mind – it had had enough and refused to obey. He closed his eyes in exhaustion to reopen them right away. He couldn't fall asleep, not now, not here. He had to stay awake, but the cold seemed to intensify now he was still. He started to shiver violently. He had to move. He had to...

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter three

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs.

--

Part VII

The three agents felt relieved when a large van finally arrived and seven men got out. The SWAT leader asked. "What do we have?"

Colby was about to reply when another vehicle appeared. It was a Prius. David swore and ran to it. "For God sake, Charlie, what are you doing here?"

"If Don's in that building, I want to be there." The professor replied as he got out.

"If he is in that building, so is Harper and things could turn nasty. If you get hurt, your brother's gonna kill me!"

The other two agents had joined David. "He's right Charlie." Liz agreed. "You can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

"We're losing time!" Charlie replied impatiently. "Shouldn't you be attacking the place by now?"

Realising that Charlie wouldn't leave, David ran to his car and came back with a Kevlar vest. "Okay, you wear that and you wait here until we tell you it's safe to move." He hesitated then added. "You can sit in my car. The radio's on our frequency. You'll be able to listen to what's happening."

"Thank you." The professor put the vest on and sat obediently in the vehicle.

The agents and the SWAT team discussed briefly the strategy to adopt then started to move toward the terminal. They spread out around the building; two men covering each of the back exits, the rest positioning themselves at the main entry and the roller shutter.

Charlie heard a voice whispering in the radio. "SWAT team, ready?"

"Affirmative." Several other voices replied softly.

"One my count; three... two... one... Go! Go!"

The agents and the SWAT forced their way in and disappeared in the terminal. The shutter was lifted, setting the alarm off and the men invaded the dock.

Charlie could hear shouting and shooting. Suddenly the radio came alive again. It was Colby.

"I've got Wright!"

Charlie sat on the edge of his seat.

"And Don?" This time is was David.

"Wait!" Silence. Charlie was about to leave the car and run to the terminal when Colby's voice echoed again. "We've found him!"

"Oh my God, Don!" Liz's voice, in the background.

"Get the medics here now!" Colby ordered.

"Don, can you hear me?" Liz, again in the background.

"Let's get him out of here. Easy. David? Where are you?"

David shouted. "I've got a runner! It's Harper. He's heading to one of the back exits!"

Charlie felt a sudden rage rising in him. _Harper was not going to escape! Not after what he had done to Don!_ He looked for the SUV's key but David had kept them with him so he ran to his car, started it and drove as fast as he could down the road and around the building. A door opened just as he reached the back. Without hesitation, he accelerated and hit it shut. He heard a cry of pain followed by the sound of a brawl.

He listened and when he heard David's voice shouting _"Shut up and stand up!",_ Charlie backed up his car, got out and knocked on the door shyly, calling out. "David?"

The door reopened. Davis was holding a handcuffed Harper with a bloody nose, surrounded by two more men aiming submachine guns at the professor. Charlie jumped and raised his hands.

"Woah! Easy guys, he's on our side. Charlie? Man, you could've been killed! But thanks."

"Is that Harper?"

"Yeah." David replied with a big smile.

"Where's Don?"

David's smile disappeared at once. He handed his prisoner to the other men. "Colby and Liz are with him. This way."

Don was lying, semi-conscious on the floor next to the main entry. Although the temperature outside was above 80, he was shivering violently. For a second, Charlie remained petrified at the sight of his brother: there was dried blood on his face, fresh blood on his wrists, his teeth were chattering and he was extremely pale.

Wright gently covered him with his jacket. When Harper passed them, he looked up, angrily. "You almost killed him." He said accusingly.

"That was the plan, Philip. But he was more resistant than I thought. I should've turned the temperature down further."

Charlie turned around to face the man and before he knew it, he had punched him. The man was much taller than the professor and the blow only connected with his chin. Harper worked his jaw and said mockingly. "Your brother's aim is better and stronger. There's room for improvement, Professor."

Colby got up and looked at Harper sharply. "My aim is very good. If I were you, I'd shut up if you want to keep your teeth intact."

Don managed to open his eyes and noticed his brother shaking his hand in pain. "What... are you... doing here?" He said between two shudders. "It's... dangerous."

"Not anymore. All the bad guys have been arrested." Charlie reassured him.

"No... not all... The killer's still... out".

Exhausted, Don closed his eyes.

Charlie kneeled next to his brother, alarmed. "Hey! Don! Stay with me, okay?"

The agent tried his best to obey his brother but he felt his strength leaving him. He had fought so hard to stay awake and alive in the cold store, he had no energy left. And God, he was so cold!

"Open your eyes, Don." Charlie shook his hand, almost imploring.

Sleep was too tempting. The last thing he heard was his brother's anguished voice calling his name.

--

Charlie refused to budge: this time, he was going in the ambulance with his brother!

Once Don was transferred to his room, Charlie decided to call his father. He couldn't delay it anymore and would have to tell him everything; no way to keep it to a minimum. With Don in the hospital twice in the same day, Alan was going to demand explanations. He braced himself, called him and gave him a sum up of the events of the day.

Alan remained very quiet... too quiet for Charlie's liking. The elder man just replied dryly. "I see... Which hospital?... I'm on my way."

Charlie winced as he hung up. He knew it was the calm before the storm and he was going to be right in the middle. He sighed deeply and he walked back to Don's room.

His brother was asleep, bundled up under several covers but the Doctor had assured that his body temperature was returning to normal.

"He had a severe hypothermia when he arrived. His concussion didn't help his condition." He read his notes. "I understand that he was caught in an explosion this morning and lost consciousness? Then he discharged himself and went back to work?" Charlie nodded. The doctor pursed his lips in disapproval. "He's FBI, isn't he?" Nod again. "Are you too?"

"No, I'm a mathematician. I consult for Don."

"Hmm, hmm. Your brother was extremely lucky. Maybe you could remind him he's not Superman and that human bodies have their limits. I know FBI agents are bad patients but this was pushing his luck a bit far!"

Charlie made a face, upset. "I know. I told him this morning but he didn't listen. You don't know him. His work prevails against everything, including his own safety."

The doctor looked at Charlie with sympathy and gave him a quick pat on the upper arm. "Maybe you should talk to him about how you feel."

--

Don stirred and opened eyes half mast, looking at the ceiling. He was warm again and lying on something soft. _Nice. _He knew he was in the hospital; he vaguely remembered being in an ambulance and Charlie was there too... Charlie! He cracked his eyes open and turned his head slowly and carefully: no pain, no dizziness, a big improvement on that side too. His eyes finally fell on his brother who was staring at the window, lost in his thoughts. And from the look on his face, they were not happy thoughts.

"Hey Buddy." He whispered.

Charlie started slightly then quickly pulled his chair closer to the bed. "Hey Don. You're awake. How you're feeling. And don't say you're okay." He pressed the bell hanging at the head of the bed.

"I'm fine honestly Charlie. In fact, I'm too warm. Could you remove a cover?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Wait until the nurse arrives, okay? She won't be too long. Do you want some water?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

Charlie was handing a glass to his brother when the door opened and a nurse, followed by the doctor entered.

"Good evening Agent Eppes, I'm Dr Lopez. Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

"He said he was too hot and wants a cover off." Charlie responded at his place.

Don looked at him, surprised and amused then turned his head toward the Doctor. "I feel fine actually. Can I leave?"

Dr Lopez raised an eyebrow and glanced quickly at Charlie who rolled his eyes and spread up his arms in a exasperated gesture.

"Uh. Not right away, I'm afraid. You had a concussion and I want to keep you under observation, ideally I'd say all night but something tells me you won't go for that, so let's make a deal. Wait a couple of hours and if your results come back clear, you can go home. But you'll need someone to keep an eye on you just in case. And no going back to work until tomorrow. I will be intransigent on this. You need to rest."

"He'll stay with us. My father will know how to keep him still."

"What do you mean?" Don looked at him warily. "What did you tell him? You called him?"

Charlie moved briefly his head from side to side. "I had to. He's on his way."

Don closed his eyes and sank deeper in his pillow, resigned. "Great."

The doctor finished his examination and said. "The cut on your forehead should heal nicely. The blow on the side of your head is going to be painful for a few days. I'll prescribe you some painkillers. They won't make you drowsy, don't worry" He specified before the agent could start objecting. "The aches from this morning blast should ease quickly. Your hypothermia won't leave any after-effects. You were found in time, there's no damage to the skin or any organs. Your wrists however are going to be painful for a while but they too should heal without any problem. I will recommend no field work for three days."

"But I'm in the middle of an investigation!"

"Well, you'll need to be patient for the next few days."

Charlie muttered. "You could just as well talk to walls, then."

Don glared at his brother but said nothing. "Thank you Doctor."

As soon as the nurse and Dr Lopez had left the room, Don sat up and asked angrily. "What's your problem, Chuck?"

"My problem is that you nearly died this morning and you just ignored it! You went back to chase a trained killer although you weren't in any condition to do so. And you almost died again this afternoon. How many lives do you think you have?"

"Charlie. It's my job-" The agent started.

"No! We had this conversation before! Your job is to protect people but not at your own risk. I know you once said to Colby that you weren't afraid to die but what about us, hmm? What about Dad and me? Have you ever thought of what it would do to us if you got killed?"

Don took a deep breath through the nose. _Here we go again. _ "You're right, we had this conversation before. And if I remember well, I told you I couldn't do my job if I had to worry about what could happen. I do what I have to do. No one in my team or in any team for that matter, can think about the consequences every time we stepped into a dangerous situation. We just go and do our best to watch each other's back. You cannot seriously expect me to back off every time the odds seem against us!" Don stopped and observed his brother. The younger man seemed in pain as if this brother's words were hurting him. The agent calmed down and added in a softer voice. "Charlie, most of the time, I have only a split second to make a decision and, yes sometimes I miscalculate the risks and things can get a little... out of hand."

Charlie snorted and looked away.

"I do my best. That's all I can do... Hey you too make mistakes in your job, right?"

"Very rarely, and even if I do, there's not life threatening. I won't die because of it. What you did today was stupid and useless."

"Hey, what do you mean useless?" He asked, slightly offended. "We caught the Ghost, no?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure we could've got him without you being turned into an ice-cube."

Both brothers challenged each other with a look then Don smiled.

"So you hit Harper?" He said, punching him gently on the arm.

"I tried to anyway." Charlie worked his hand. "It's amazing how much it can hurt."

His brother frowned. "Don't tell me you put your thumb inside your fist when you hit him?"

"No, no! I remembered what you taught me. But still..."

Don shook his head slowly, smiling proudly. "I can't believe my little brother did that."

"Well I didn't exactly plan it, you know. Actually I only realised what I did when my hand started to hurt... But he deserved it after what he did to you." He said in a sulking tone.

Don's smile turned mischievous. "Did it feel good?"

Charlie's face lit up. "Apart from my hand? Yeah, definitely!" He watched his brother laughing. "It's good to see a smile."

"I return the compliment, Buddy."

"Well, it's nice to know that at least some people are in a good mood."

Both men turned their head to the door. Alan was standing, arms crossed, a mixed look on his face. He started to walk to the bed. "I'm glad to see you're alright despite an obviously busy day."

"Dad-" started Don.

Alan ignored him and carried on, coldly, "Being blown off by a bomb in the morning, knocked out and kidnapped in the afternoon then almost frozen to death in the evening, I suppose it's an average day for you, almost boring, hmm?"

Don scowled at Charlie, who raised his hands in defence and started to walk backwards to the door.

Alan turned briefly to his younger son. "Don't go anywhere young man, I want a word or two with you." Then he turned back to his eldest. "But first, I'm going to have a little conversation with your brother, here."

_Time for a back-up plan_. "The Doctor said I needed to rest and to be honest I'm a bit tired. Can't it wait?"

Alan studied Don's face. He knew his son was playing him but he could also see lines of pain and tiredness around his eyes. His anger vanished and he sighed. "You should be so lucky to get away that easily... Well, I guess the most important is that you're alive... But we _will_ need to talk. You cannot carry on taking so many risks."

Don closed his eyes and smiled lazily. _Close call._

As promised by the doctor, he was released later that evening. He spent the night at the Craftsman house

and went back to work the following day, much to Alan's and Charlie's distress. Wright called him in his office as soon as he arrived.

The AD stood up as Don entered and he gestured toward the armchair opposite his desk.

"Good to see you back, Agent Eppes..." He smiled sadly, ill-at-ease. "I wanted to thank you for what you did and also to... to apologize for not coming clean about my brother."

Don raised his hand to brush the excuse away. "It's alright, Sir. Where is he now?"

"The CIA have him in custody but he will be transferred to jail tomorrow."

Don shook his head. "I'm really sorry it had to end that way."

Wright looked down to the floor and whispered. "Yes, so am I."

--

He put the phone down, irritated. Harper wasn't responding. _Why wasn't he returning his calls?_ He knew this could happen. They had discussed what to do in that eventuality; wait 12 hours and follow the plan. 12 hours had gone and Harper hadn't call back. _So it was up to him now_. A sense of pride grew in him. Harper had said he was the only one he could count on in case of problem, and his silence meant that he was definitely in trouble. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to fail his mentor. He had already gathered the equipment he needed. He packed everything meticulously in a sport bag, picked up his jacket and walked to the door. He stopped short as he grabbed the knob. An idea started to form; why go for small when you can do spectacular? He opened a cupboard and took a parcel wrapped in Kraft paper that he had hidden under some clothes and placed it with the rest in his bag. He smiled; this was going to be his masterpiece! He slammed the door behind him as he left the room. _Yes, he was going to make Harper proud!_

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter three

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs.

--

PART VIII

Don entered the meeting room which still served as office. His team was already at work.

"Don, we may have something on our killer." David said with excitement. "Remember that Charlie mentioned in his analysis that our guy would feel the need to boastof his exploits?"

"Hmm, hmm. And?" Don took his jacket off, placed it on the back of his chair and started to roll his sleeves.

"Walker rang this morning. One of his informers reported that yesterday a guy was bragging he had bombed the FBI. Nobody took him seriously at the time."

"What? Do we have a description or a name?"

"Both. LAPD made a photofit from the description given by the bar tender and displayed it around." Colby handed the picture to Don. "His name's Adam Kardali. His address is at the back."

David carried on. "Walker also showed it to the parents of the boy killed and they recognised him. He worked as their gardener for about six months and one day, he stopped coming without explanation. They said he was nice but very shy and a bit weird."

Don looked at David. "A bit?" _That was an understatement._

David raised his hands. "Their words, Don."

"Okay then. Let's go." Don picked up his jacket. Seeing that none of his agents was moving, he stopped and looked at them puzzled. "What?"

"No field work for three days, Don. " Liz reminded him.

"Oh! come on! You can't be serious!"

"We promised Alan and Charlie that you wouldn't go anywhere at least today." She explained.

Don sighed resignedly and put his jacket back on his chair. "Alright, go ahead but keep in permanent contact... And take Miller, Parson and Richie with you... And be careful, that guy's dangerous... And-"

Liz interrupted him, trying not to laugh but Colby and David couldn't hide their smiles. "Don, it's okay. We know what we're doing."

He looked at his team, still a little hesitant then nodded several times. "Yeah, sure. Go. I'm late with my reports anyway." He muttered to himself.

Half an hour later, the agents were forcing the door of the apartment and started to search it thoroughly. Colby found a piece of Kraft paper. He rubbed his fingers on it; it was greasy. He sniffed it. "C4 but there's no telling how much he's got."

"He's planning another explosion?" David's stomach knotted at the memory of the previous day.

"Looks like it. We'd better call Don." Colby replied as he flipped open his cell-phone.

--

As soon as his men told him what they had found out, Don picked up his phone and called Wright to explain the situation. "Sir, we need to talk to your brother. He's the only one who can tell us what Kardali's up to."

"He's under the CIA's supervision. It's going to be very difficult."

"I understand that. But people are going to die and I hope that even the CIA can realise the urgency here."

"Alright, let me call them."

Five minutes later, Wright came to see Don to inform him that they had the green light. "But they want to attend the interrogation."

"I have no problem with that."

Charlie overheard the conversation as he walked into the meeting room and said. "Don, let me come with you."

"Charlie-"

"No wait. Hear me out. Depending on where the explosion will be, I assume it'll be a building, I might be able to calculate the quickest and safest way to access the bomb. Every second will count and you'll need all the help you can get. Let me come." Seeing his brother was still hesitating, he added. "There's no risk, Don. He's been apprehended. He can't harm anyone anymore."

"I don't know if the CIA will let you in anyway." He looked at Wright for confirmation.

The AD shrugged briefly. "We can try. Let's go."

The three men arrived at the CIA's HQ and they were taken to the maximum security wing where Harper was detained. Charlie was allowed inside the building but was asked to wait outside the interrogation room. He stood behind the security glass and listened carefully to the conversation. Harper was handcuffed and sitting on a chair in front of a table, facing the door.

"Hello Brother!" Harper called out, mockingly. "You came with Agent Eppes as reinforcements… Feeling less chilly, Eppes?"

Charlie clenched his jaws and his fists in rage. He noticed that his brother, on the other hand, seemed calm and in control.

Don leant forward to put his hands on the table and faced the man squarely. "You said your friend was preparing something. Do you want to tell us about it?"

Harper stared at Don, bewildered. "You're kidding, right?"

Don sat down. "No. We will eventually get him, but if you cooperate, it'll be taken it into consideration."

Harper kept staring at Don. "You _are_ kidding." He repeated as to convince himself. "Do you think I'm dumb enough to believe that I'll get a remission if I help you? I know I'm in for the electric chair. So why on earth would I talk to you?"

"Because you might want to do something right for once in your life." Wright looked at his brother with imploring eyes. "You've lost, Jack. It's over. Why don't you want to admit it?"

The Ghost leant forward against the table. "You're wrong, Philip. It's not finished. And the fact you're both here proves it. So here is the deal; either you let me go and I stop my man, or get ready to pick up body pieces all over the city."

"Now, you're the one who's dreaming." Don retorted. "There's no way you're gonna walk out of here free."

Harper raised his hands apart and leant back in his chair. "Then I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you, gentlemen."

Charlie knocked on the window and with a hand movement, told his brother to come and see him.

Don left the room, a little annoyed to be interrupted.

"Let me talk to him." Charlie asked in a low voice.

"Charlie-"

"Don, please let me try."

Don glanced at the CIA agent in charge who nodded. He stared at his brother for a couple of seconds, frowned then replied reluctantly. "Okay, but if I tell you to leave, you do so without arguing. Alright?"

"Done deal."

When both men walked into the interrogation room, Harper smiled ironically. "Oh! Big brother sends Baby bro."

"Actually no. Don didn't want me to talk to you."

"Fine by me. I've got nothing to tell you anyway."

"That's alright. You just need to listen." Charlie sat down on the opposite chair, his hands flat on the table. Don was standing next to him, tense and ready to intervene if necessary. "You are going to let people die just because you hold a grudge against AD Wright."

Harper didn't reply but his eyes kept darting warily from one brother to the other.

"You know, about three months ago, I did something that the Bureau didn't... appreciate. They saw it as a betrayal. The worse part is that I did it because I was angry and I went against my brother's advice. He told me what would happen but I didn't listen. But you know what? Contrary to you, I never blamed him for anything."

"You should. He works for those who rejected you."

"So what? I am the only one responsible for the consequences... Just like you. No one forced you to work for the enemy. If someone had the right to be angry, it'd be your brother.

"Half-brother." Harper rectified.

"Right, half-brother. That doesn't change the fact that like me, you are answerable for your actions. Don't put the blame on someone else or the Bureau or the CIA. _You_ alone made your choices. And instead of regarding yourself as a victim or a martyr, think of what your actions did to your brother... I know Don has been in the doghouse since my arrest." Charlie quickly glanced at Don, who was staring at him with a mixed expression on his face, both sad and surprised. The younger man took a deep breath and carried on. "I placed him in a difficult situation but he never complained or said anything." He snorted. "In fact, he worried about me... But I know I hurt him and disappointed him." Don opened his mouth to say something and Charlie added quickly. "But we are brothers, you see? That's the whole difference. Even if we don't always agree with what the other does, we stand by each other's side. I know I can rely on Don just like he can depend on me. I hope he knows that, anyway." He said the last sentence in a low voice. He didn't dare look at his brother. What he was saying was too important; he needed to let his brother know how he felt. Don didn't say a word. Instead he put his hand on Charlie's shoulder and squeezed it gently, and the professor had his answer. He smiled inwardly, relieved and reassured. He looked at Harper sharply. "And despite what you think, your brother, half-brother cares for you."

"What do you know?" the Ghost replied aggressively.

"I know that he provided wrong information to the CIA to give you enough time to leave the country."

Harper peered at him sceptically.

Charlie nodded with force. "He did. He put his job and reputation at risk to help you. And what do you do in response to that? You try and destroy him, mentally and physically; you murder innocent people; _you try to kill my brother_. You have no excuse for that! Do something decent for a change. Tell them where the bomb is. You might, _might_ avoid the electric chair. I don't think your brother wants to see you die."

Harper clenched his jaws several times. He remained silent, clearly mulling over the situation then he looked up at Don, nodding toward Charlie.

"Man, does he always talk that much?" His tone was light, as if he was joking but the expression in his face was deadly and Charlie hardly managed to hold back a shudder.

"Oh yeah! He's my secret weapon." Don replied with the same tone,his eyes as cold as ice. "Once he's started there's no stopping him. He can talk someone to death. Now, tell me where the bomb is?"

Harper couldn't help laughing briefly. "You guys are dangerous." He shook his head, amused. "Talking a suspect to death; I've never tried that torture."

"And you won't. It only works with him." A hand on the back of Harper's chair, the other against the table, Don leant forward and asked again. "Where is the bomb?"

The prisoner stared back at Don. "Even if I tell you, you don't know my man. If he sees you coming, he'll activate it."

Don remained impassive. "Don't worry about that. Talk."

After what seemed like an eternity, the prisoner finally answered. "CalSci." He smiled at both brothers. "We chose the place in your honor. I hope you appreciate the gesture."

Charlie's heart almost stopped and he thought he was going to be sick. The men on the other side of the security glass were already calling the bomb squad and reinforcements to evacuate the campus.

Don tried to remain as calm as possible. "Where? Which department?"

Harper smiled again. He clearly enjoyed this moment of power. He knew he was finished but he was determined to give a hard time to the feds and his brother for as long as he could. He remained silent for a minute, challenging Don with a look. As frustrating as this was, the agent knew that if he waited, he would eventually get his answer. The Ghost was testing his patience and he too was determined not to let the prisoner win. Both men stared at each other, defying the other to let go first. Charlie watched, almost fascinated. It was like witnessing a clash between two titans. The silent confrontation was more intense and frightening than if they had actually fought physically.

The professor also knew that patience wasn't Don's greatest quality so he was quite impressed when his brother managed to hold on until Harper finally decided to talk. "The Biology department." He smirked. "But as I said, this won't help you much. You don't know what my man looks like and the place is big. Take me with you, I'll help you."

"Nice try but that's not gonna happen. You're going to rot in jail for a _very_ long time." Don turned around to leave the room, stopped and faced the man again. "Oh! Did I forget to mention? We do know who your man is."

Harper looked at him, incredulous. "You're bluffing."

"Am I? Adam Kardali, 26 years old. Right now, every policeman in town has his picture." Don added, pinning him with his eyes. "Game's over, Harper." Two CIA agents entered the room.

Harper got up and stopped in front of Don. "You're very good Eppes. You and your brother have a perfect little act."

Don stepped aside as the agents took the prisoner away.

Wright watched as his brother disappeared at the end of the corridor then turned to Charlie. "For the record, Professor, I _never_ lied to anyone to help my brother escape."

"I know that Sir, but that's all I could think of at the time." Charlie replied with a shrug.

Wright looked at the brothers with a half-smile. "Jack's right. You are quite a pair and you are very lucky to have each other."

Charlie smiled, glancing at Don. "We know."

--

Don called David and Colby then ran to his car, followed by his brother.

"Charlie, go home." He said as he opened the door. "I don't want you any near CalSci. Understood?"

"Don, I know the place better than anyone."

"We know where the bomb is, remember?"

"Amita and Larry are there. They're in danger because of me."

"No Charlie. They're in danger because a psycho decided it. Go home."

Charlie sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt. Don muttered some unsavoury words that Charlie didn't quite get. Don glared at him quickly and started the car. "I don't have the time for this." He mumbled to himself.

Charlie called Larry and Amita on the way and both scientists confirmed they had left the campus. Seeing his brother sighing with relief, Don asked. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah"

"Good, now you know how I feel having you here with me. You should be with Dad, miles away."

"Yeah but you also know how _we_ feel when we know you are in danger."

"Charlie, I'm not going to have this conversation again. This is my job. It's definitely not yours!"

"No, but it's my university. And I feel responsible for what's happening."

Don glanced sideways to this brother then focused on the road. A few minutes later, Don pulled over in front of the building next to the Biology Department. He couldn't go any further. The area was secured and they had to carry on by foot.

"It's alright" said Charlie. "Biology's just round the corner."

Another SUV stopped next to them and David and Colby got out. The four men ran inside the building.

The whole campus looked quiet. The drills organised on regular basis to evacuate the site in case of major earthquake proved to be useful. Students and teachers had left the university in record time.

Two bomb squad armoured vehicles were parked just in front of the building. Don also noticed two vans belonging to K9 units. _ They called the sniffer dogs, good._

The head of bomb squad came towards them as they entered the building. Don showed him his badge.

"Eppes, FBI. You found the bomb?" He said without preamble.

"That's the problem, Agent. We searched every inch of the whole department but there is nothing. The dogs didn't pick up anything either. There's no bomb here."

"Do you think Harper lied?" Charlie asked, a lump forming in his throat.

Don looked straight in front of him and shook slowly his head. "No. I'm sure he told the truth."

"So what?" Colby wondered.

"Kardali must have decided to change his plans… Charlie, where would you put a bomb if you wanted to cause a maximum amount of damage?"

Charlie scratched his head, thinking. "Well, there are several departments with very volatile or dangerous components. But the most obvious and easy to access is probably the chemistry section."

"Alright. And where is it?"

"Just on the... Come with me."

--

Charlie took them to a corridor and gestured towards the doors. "These are the labs."

The head of bomb squad, whose name was Johnson, ordered. "Okay, we need to check them all. Be careful, if you see anything suspicious, don't touch it. Don't take any risks."

The first labs were cleared. They moved along the corridor until David called. "This door is locked!"

"Don't force it open. It might be booby trapped." Johnson advised.

Don made a face and sniffed "Do you smell that? It's gas?"

"There are gas taps" Charlie confirmed. "Most experiments require that we heat the minerals or metals we work on to obtain a result."

"Alright, guys. You need to get out. This place is too unstable." Johnson said to the FBI agents while his men adjusted the helmets of their anti-bomb suits.

Don pursed his lips. "What if we break a window? This is the ground floor after all. We could get inside the lab easily."

"That's what we had in mind**."**

Don and the bomb technician ran outside. They cupped their hands against the window and peered inside the lab. A wire was running from the knob of the door down to the floor but they couldn't see what it was connected to. Johnson swore under his breath. He spoke through his microphone integrated in his helmet. "Craven, the door is definitely trapped."

"Can you see the bomb, Boss?"

He moved to the next window to have a better view. "It's under a table near the left wall. It looks like an incendiary bomb**. **We'd better have the fire brigade ready."

"What are you going to do? We need to go inside." Don said impatiently.

"Before breaking the window, we first need to secure it**. **The tiniestspark will ignite the gas, and with all these inflammable substances in this room we could have a flashover."

"What's that?"

"Every combustible surface in the room would catch fire. It usually happens in a matter of seconds and the fire can no longer be contained**. **If on the top of that the bomb explodes, given the hazardous substances in the room and the other labs, we would get a nice bonfire. And we'd better not be around if it happens."

He had just finished his sentence when two men arrived and started to stick large pieces of adhesive tapeagainstthe window.

"You should get shelter, Agent. This could be dangerous."

Don walked quickly to the corner of the building where the rest of his team was waiting. The bomb technicians broke the window then removed the tape with the pieces of glass stuck on them. One of the men carefully pressed his arm through the hole, unlocked the window then slid it open.

Don leant forward to watch the men's progression. They were climbing up the window and entering the lab with extreme caution. Their heavy suits didn't make their task any easier.

The agent turned to his team. "Kardali had to wait until everybody had left the campus to install his bomb. And it must've taken him some time to prepare it." He said, scanning the surroundings. "Not to mention that he likes watching his victims**."**

"Which means he's still here." David finished his sentence, looking around too.

"Yep." Don lifted his left wrist where his microphone was and said. "Heads up everyone. Kardali is still on the campus. Don't let him get away."

Suddenly Johnson's voice cursing loudly echoed in their earpieces. Don raised his microphone and asked, apprehensively. "What going on?"

"That SOB broke all the taps. We can't turn the gas off! " The man explained. "He used a mercury bubble as movement sensor. If we touch the bomb, it goes off. And there is a timer. It's connected in such a way that if we tamper with it, the bomb-"

"Goes off." Don sighed, nodding. "Okay. How long do we have left?"

"Ten minutes."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Well, this is the last chapter. I really enjoyed writing this story and as I said at the very beginning, this was my first fic, so it was also quite a challenge.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my story and for your nice reviews. And a HUGE thank you to ALEO for being my beta.

--

PART IX

Don looked at his brother and his men in alarm. "So what you're saying is that even if we manage to move the bomb, we can't prevent it from exploding?"

"That's right."

"Let's say we find a way to move it, would you be able to control the explosion?"

"I'm not sure. There is a large quantity of explosives. The guy actually wrapped the wires around the C4, the trigger, the timer and the mercury vial before connecting them. If we cut the wires, we set off the bomb. But my main concern is that the gas is still escaping; the air in the building and around it is going to be saturated with it. It could cause a chain reaction, setting the other buildings on fire and it will be impossible to contain the blaze."

Don turned to David and whispered. "Find the safety shut-off valves. We need to cut off the gas now**!**"

"Let's hope he didn't tamper with them too."

"I don't think he had the time but if he did, call the building manager and ask him where main valves are. Also check with the fire brigade to see if they can shut down the distribution valves from the street." Then to Johnson, "So what do you suggest?"

The technician thought quickly. "Maybe... if we placed the bomb in a containment vessel and inside the armoured van, it could work. It should minimize the damage for sure." He shrugged. "But first we need to move it and I can't see how-"

"If we freeze the mercury, could we move it then?" Don asked hurriedly.

"Uh sure. But-"

"Would liquid nitrogen work?" Don carried on.

"Definitely." The man replied, understanding what Don was getting at. "Do you have some here?"

Don looked at Charlie. "Liquid nitrogen?"

"This is CalSci." Charlie reminded him. "We have that kind of stuff."

Charlie led Don to a laboratory in a nearby building and opened what looked like a refrigerated room filled with various containers andvials. The cool air hit Don, reminding him of his ordeal in the cold store. He took a step back, his respiration accelerated and he couldn't suppress a shiver. He quickly glanced at this brother but the latter was too busy looking for insulated gloves to notice anything. The agent forced himself to breathe slowly and evenly to get back his self-control.

"Found them!" Charlieexclaimed,waving the gloves and a pair of goggles. "And we'll need that as well to fit on the container." He added, grabbing a nozzle left on a table.

Don fished his keys out of his pocket and handed them to his brother. "Thanks. Now, take my car and go home." The younger man was about to protest but Don grabbed his hand and placed the keys in it. "Take them and leave! Now!" His tone and face made it clear it wasn't the right time to argue and Charlie obeyed reluctantly.

Don put the gloves and the goggles on then seized one of the steel cylinders containing the nitrogen. It was heavier than he expected and adjusted his grip around it then he ran to the laboratory where the bomb squad was waiting. The booby trap had been disabledbut the door was kept close to avoid too much gas spreading in the building. The agent called out "I've got it." The door opened immediately, one of the men took the container and the nozzle then closed the door quickly behind him. Then Don jogged outside where Colby was waiting for him.

"David, any luck with the gas?" He asked in his microphone. There was no response. "David?"

"Yes! I've just turned off the valves. It should be alright now."

"Good. How long do we have left?"

"Less than six minutes." Johnson replied.

Don scratched the back of his head nervously. They were running out of time. He looked around and noticed that his brother was reaching the SUV. Suddenly, his eyes caught a shadow moving in the building in front of which the Suburban was parked. He squinted, unsure he saw properly before starting to run to the building, gesturing at Colby to follow him. This time he distinctly saw a silhouette crossing the front room. Yes, there was definitely someone inside.

Charlie pressed the remote for the car doors and was about to open the driver's door when he saw Don and Colby draw their guns and enter the building in front of him. He froze, worried.

Carefully and silently, the two agents approached the room where Don had seen the shadow. Back against the wall, Don reached out and pushed the door then peered swiftly inside the classroom. There didn't seem to be anyone. With extreme caution, both men stepped inside but the place was definitely empty. With the same precautions, they moved to the opposite room. But as they entered, a chair was thrown at them, hitting Colby in the shoulder and sending him on the floor. Don just had time to see a man aiming his gun at him. He threw himself on the floor and rolled over to avoid the bullet before the man escaped through the window. He got back on his feet and turned to Colby.

"I'm okay!" Granger shouted before Don could ask. "Get him!"

As he jumped out of the window, Don saw the man rushing toward Charlie who was still standing near the SUV.

The agent sprinted after the suspect and yelled. "Charlie! Get into the car!"

The professor took in was happening and pressed the door remote again but in his haste he locked the doors instead of opening them. The few seconds it took him to realise his mistake and to press the remote again were enough for the man to be on him.

"In the car!" Don repeated desperately.

Charlie got the door open but the man pushed him brutally against the car, his left arm closing around the professor's neck while his right hand pressed a gun firmly against his temple. He turned around, using Charlie as human shield and faced Don. The agent stopped short, a couple of meters away from them and aimed at the man. Colby approached slowly, joined soon after by David.

"Put your gun down, Kardali." Ordered Don.

Charlie tried not to panic and kept his eyes riveted on Don. The agent briefly glanced at him before focusing on the killer.

"I said, put-your-gun-down."

The other man smiled scornfully. "Can't you see the irony, Agent? You're giving me orders when I hold all the winning cards."

_Superiority/inferiority complex. _Megan's words echoed in his head_. Maybe... _Don didn't like the plan that had just formed in his head but he didn't have time to find another one. "Adam, listen to me. Either you surrender or you leave in a body bag."

"Yeah, but your brother will die first!" He shot back.

Don raised his left hand to calm him down. "Easy, okay? Nobody's going to die." He said in a soft voice. "And you must live if you want people to know what you did. After all, you're the one who bombed the FBI. It's quite an achievement."

"Yes, it is." Kardali replied proudly. "And Harper said he would let the media know." He nodded towards the building where the bomb was. "He will tell them that this is _my_ work."

Don snorted softly. "Harper? I wouldn't count on it. He's been arrested and won't be talking to anyone for a while. Besides, he gave you away."

Kardali frowned, his gun wavered slightly. "You're lying." He replied forcefully.

"He squealed on you, Adam." Don repeated calmly, hoping he wasn't pushing the man too far. "How do you think we knew what the target was? He doesn't care about you. All he wants is to save his own head. The bomb in the chemistry class was your plan, wasn't it? Not Harper's. But if you're killed, he will get all the glory," Don waved at the building. "and you will never be able to prove that this was _your_ idea. You're not Harper's appendage. You're much better than him. Don't let him win, Adam. Put your gun down**."**

Kardali shook his head nervously. "Harper would never do that to me." He said as if he was trying to convince himself. "You... you must've done something to him... He would never..."His voice faltered and almost broke in a cry. His gun moved slightly away from Charlie's head but not enough to allow Don to disarm him without endangering his brother.

The receiver in the agents' ears buzzed and Johnson announced. "We froze the mercury. The bomb is now in the armoured van and at safe distance from the building."

Don raised his left hand to speak into his microphone. "Give us the countdown." He whispered.

"Fifteen seconds".

Colby and David exchanged a quick look and held their guns more tightly. Don said nothing but Charlie thought he saw relief in his eyes. Kardali looked warily at the three men in front of him. Something was wrong. What was going on? He knew his bomb couldn't be moved or diffused, so what had just changed?

"Ten seconds." The voice said into their earpieces.

Don looked straight at his brother then quickly down to the ground then back at his brother. Charlie frowned. _What did he mean?_ Then his face cleared. He blinked slowly to let him know he had understood. _At least, he hoped he did._

"Five." The voice continued to count through their earpieces. The three agents braced themselves. "Four." Don kept his eyes locked into Charlie's. "Three... Two... One."

Several things happened at the same time that Kardali hadn't anticipated. First he was startled when Don shouted, "Now!" Then his hostage suddenly went limp. The unexpected dead weight caught him off guard; he lost his balance and had to release his grip on Charlie. The professor threw himself onto the ground out of the killer's reach. Then, after an ear-splitting detonation echoed in the air, a large grey mushroom of smoke rocketed into the sky followed by a loud metallic crash while a tremor shook the ground.

Before he knew it, Kardali was shoved to the ground, face down; Don was kneeling on his back, handcuffing him and telling him his rights, while the two other agents kept him covered.

Then Don got up, pulling his prisoner up to his feet before pushing him violently against the car. For a second, they all thought the agent was going to hit him. But Don said coldly. "I'm afraid that pathetic _Bang_ was your bomb. Not quite what you expected, hmm?"

He handed the prisoner to his men, holstered his gun and knelt next to Charlie, who was sitting against the SUV. The younger man looked exhausted.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked gently.

"Yeah." Charlie answered although his voice didn't sound like he was.

Don sat next to him. "I'm proud of you. You remained calm despite Kardali threatening you with a gun."

"Well, I knew you'd think of something. You always do." Charlie replied, half smiling at his brother.

Don rested his head against the car and closed briefly his eyes then he looked at his brother sideways. "I was afraid you wouldn't understand what I wanted you to do."

Charlie gathered his knees and put his arms around them. "I wasn't sure mind you. But I remembered you taught me that move after that bully attacked me in High School... It's very effective." He noticed, almost surprised.

"Of course it is! But I'll have to show you the whole move... just in case."

"Oh! That's not all?"

"Of course not. You're supposed to disable your adversary long enough to run away. For that, the simplest way is to elbow him as hard as you can."

"Hmm." Charlie frowned, pensive. He wasn't too thrilled by the idea. He _really_ didn't want to find himself in that kind of situation again.

Both brothers leant their heads against the car and remained silent for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

Then Charlie cleared his voice and said. "So, uh... I talk people to death?"

Don looked at his brother and frowned, puzzled. "What?" Then he understood what his brother was referring to. "Oh! Come on, don't tell me you're upset. It was just a joke!"

"Hmm, of course." His expression changed and he asked hesitantly. "And... and when you said I was your secret weapon, you were joking too?"

Don smiled widely. "No, not really. You are our secret weapon in many ways, when you think of it."

Charlie smiled proudly. Don shook his head, amused. He put his sunglasses on and got up then helped his brother up.

When they joined the rest of the men, they realised the extent of the damage done by the bomb to the armoured vehicle; one of the back doors had been half ripped off, the shape of the van was deformed – the metal had expanded and twisted under the effect of the strength of the blast. The tremor they had felt earlier had been caused when the large vehicle had been propelled in the air before landing heavily**,** bursting the four tires and breaking both axles.

The bomb squad leader came to shake Don's and Charlie's hand. "Thanks guys. Without you, we'd have all gone up in a giant fireworks display."

Don nodded briefly. He watched as onlookers started to gather at the entry gates, taking pictures or filming. Suddenly he peered over his sunglasses and frowned when he saw the TV news cars arriving. "Okay guys. Time to take off."

EPILOGUE

Don parked the SUV in the driveway of the Craftsman house. His father, busy weeding in the back garden heard the engine and came to meet him**.**

"Hey Donnie! I've just-" He stopped short and frowned, noticing his son was wearing his gun and FBI badge. "You went to work?" He asked accusingly. "I thought you had a couple of days off."

"I do but I went to see Wright."

Alan opened the front door and let his son in. "Oh." He looked at Don intensely. "And how did it go?"

Don's face clouded. He ran his hand in his hair before replying in a sigh. "More or less like I expected."

Alan put a comforting hand on his eldest's arm. "You did your best, Don. You knew this would happen. It's not a big surprise."

"I know, but I was hoping... you know... they'd give him a second chance." He scratched his eyebrow absently. "Where is he?"

"In the garage."

Alan shook his head sorrowfully as he watched Don walk slowly toward the garage.

Charlie had his earphones on, turned up full blast and was writing equations on a board. He was so engulfed in what he was doing that he didn't notice his brother leaning against the door jamb.

Don smiled affectionately and watched him for a solid minute, amused. Then his smile turned sad before it vanished altogether. He pushed himself away from the door and called out. "Charlie!"

His brother didn't hear him so he tapped on his shoulder. "Charlie!" he repeated.

The younger man turned around him, surprised. "Oh Don. I didn't hear you coming." He said taking his earphones off.

"Yeah, I wonder why." Don replied softly and mockingly. He nodded to the board. "What are you working on?"

"It's a new approach on my cognitive..." He stopped and frowned at his brother, both suspicious and worried. "You're not here to ask me about my work, are you?"

Don bit his lower lip then said in a breath. "I spoke to Wright today... They won't give you your clearance back, Charlie."

The professor laid his chalk on the table near him, a little stunned. "I see."

"I'm really sorry, Buddy. We had Wright on our side but it wasn't enough."

Charlie looked down and nodded silently. Don forced himself to sound optimistic. "It might not be permanent, you know. They said they needed more time to... to make a definitive decision."

"But it's very unlikely, isn't it?"

When Don remained silent, he added softly. "That's what I thought." He looked away. "I won't be allowed to work with you again." He whispered.

"No! Not necessarily... I mean, you can still consult for us on specific cases, and with Wright's authorisation of course. But I don't think that'll be a problem" He fumbled for words. "But that's alright. It'll give you more time to work on your project." He replied waving at the board.

"Really? You think we could still work together?"

"Yeah... Sure... Definitely." Don nodded emphatically.

Charlie looked at the equations on the board as if they were going to give him a confirmation. He whipped his head towards Don. "I can still get my clearance back. The FBI do use people with a criminal record." Don frowned, not liking what was coming. His brother carried on. "Don't tell me you don't. Some of your consultants are former bank robbers, specialised in breaking security systems. Same thing with hackers, or..."

"Charlie! Your case is slightly more complicated than theirs. I wouldn't bet too much on that if I were you. It's not impossible of course, but highly improbable... Man, I sound like you!" Don said, rolling his eyes in disbelief.

"Is that such a terrible thing?" The younger man asked softly, almost shyly.

Don half smiled at his puppy eyes. "No Buddy, It's not. Absolutely not."

"I wouldn't mind being like you." Charlie added with a shrug.

"Wow! Don't go there Charlie! You don't know what you're talking about. Believe me, I've been living with myself for almost forty years, I know!"

Charlie laughed and shook his head. "Man, you're crazy. You know that?"

"That's exactly my point, Buddy!"

--

Alan smiled with relief when he heard his sons laughing. It was music to his ears after the hard times they had gone through the last few months, not to mention the last couple of days.He was glad the investigation was over even if he didn't really know what had happened.Charlie had given him a summary but he had the feeling that his son had left many facts out. And there was no point asking Don, his eldest would probably reply that there was nothing worth mentioning.

He smiled fondly as they came out from the garage to join him in the back garden. Don ruffled his brother's hair with a little smirk, "Come on Chuck."

"Don't call me Chuck." Charlie pushed at Don's hand, pretending to be annoyed.

_At least they looked much more relax now_. "Everything's alright?" Alan asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Both brothers glanced at each other with complicity. "Yeah," they replied in unison.

"Good." Alan bent forward to put some weeds in a bin bag then stood up, holding his back with both hands and winced.

"Are you okay, Dad? Do you need some help?" Don asked, gesturing toward the garden.

"That would be welcome, yes. The owner of this house doesn't seem to know what keeping a garden means."

"Hey! You said you liked gardening!" Charlie protested.

"True but that doesn't mean I should be the only one doing all the work."

Charlie put his hands up defensively. "Alright, alright. Tell me what needs to be done then."

"_Weeding_. That's what needs to be done, little genius."

Don thumbed toward the tools shelter. "Right, I'll go get the gloves. And no fighting while I'm away!" He shouted over his shoulder, leaving his father and brother bickering. He smiled to himself. _Some things will never change and it was just perfect that way._

THE END


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